Trade barriers see UK exports to EU drop by 47%

Exports of food and drink from the UK to the EU in the first quarter of 2021, fell 47% compared with Q1 2020, as a result of the on-going impacts of Covid-19 and changes in the UK’s trading relationships, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF). Sales to non-EU nations accounted for 55% of all UK food and drink exports, with exports to the EU having fallen by £2bn compared with Q1 2019. Exports to almost all EU Member States fell significantly. In Q1 2021, sales to Ireland were down by more than two thirds, while sales to Germany, Spain and Italy declined by more than half since Q1 2020. All of the UK’s top 10 products exported to the EU fell significantly in value from 2019 to 2021, with whisky dropping 32.3%, chocolate 36.9% and lamb and mutton 14.3%. Dairy products were most severely impacted as, compared to 2020, exports of milk and cream to the EU have fallen by more than 90%, and exports of cheese by two thirds in the same time period. However, looking at exports to ...