From the Guardian · · 1m 50s
British food exports to EU down a third since Brexit
New figures show eggs, chicken and potatoes hit hardest as paperwork and trade barriers take their toll.
In brief
New figures show eggs, chicken and potatoes hit hardest as paperwork and trade barriers take their toll. British food and drink exports to the EU have fallen by more than a third since Brexit, with eggs down seventy-four percent and poultry down fifty-three percent in key sectors. Originally reported by the Guardian.
Exports collapse across the board
British food and drink exports to the EU have fallen by more than a third since Brexit.
Eggs hit hardest over time
Full-year data from two thousand nineteen to two thousand twenty-five shows an even deeper impact. Eggs and egg products fell seventy-four percent over that period, according to National Farmers' Union analysis of HMRC data.
The EU is Britain's biggest market
The EU accounts for sixty-eight percent of agri-food exports. NFU president Tom Bradshaw said trade volumes have fallen over a third since two thousand nineteen, hitting the country's largest trading partner for farm products.
“The EU is our largest trading partner for agri-food products, accounting for 68% of agri-food exports last year, but trade volumes have fallen over a third since 2019.”
Paperwork burden on exporters
All food exports now require customs paperwork with different codes for every product variation. Egg cartons and eggs need health certification to show they are free of disease, adding significant administrative burden to exporters.
Seed potatoes banned from EU
Horticultural exports fell more than fifty percent. Seed potatoes from Britain, mainly Scotland, were banned from the EU after trade negotiators failed to agree on equivalent standards in the Brexit trade and cooperation agreement in…
Burnham pushes for reset talks
Andy Burnham told MPs that Scottish salmon faces a one hundred percent rate of document checks at the border, costing around one hundred million pounds in lost exports.
“Our largest food export, Scottish salmon, faces a 100% rate of document checks at the border, costing us around £100m in lost exports.”
Farmers seek transition period
The NFU is calling for transition arrangements for crops grown with fungicides or breeding techniques not yet approved in the EU.
The main idea
British food and drink exports to the EU have fallen by more than a third since Brexit, with eggs down seventy-four percent and poultry down fifty-three percent in key sectors.
