UK food and drink exports have exceeded pre-COVID levels for the first time in the first six months of 2022, according to the latest data released by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).
The FDF’s Trade Snapshot – which examines the latest developments in the UK’s exports and imports of food and drink – attributed this growth to soaring levels of sales to the UAE, Australia, Canada and India.
The organisation also said the increase in export was due to increasing demand for quality British products such as chocolate, which was the UK’s largest exported food product in the first half of 2022.
The UK’s chocolate exports were worth £368m alone, up 12% since 2021. This was partly due to the rapid growth of sales to a number of non-EU markets, such as Saudi Arabia and Canada.
The effects of the war in Ukraine have also been felt throughout the industry, with rapeseed oil imports up by 125%, a direct result of the 19% reduction in the volume of sunflower oil imports.
The FDF has urged the new UK Government to continue working with it to “improve the performance of food and drink on the global stage”, referencing the importance of international trade to help businesses increase revenue and counter rising inflation.
“It is promising to see exports to EU and non-EU markets top pre-pandemic levels given the exciting opportunities presented by new trade deals with Canada, Australia, India and the Gulf Cooperation Council,” said The Food and Drink Federation’s head of international trade, Dominic Goudie.
He added: “These are vital to driving future growth in the UK food and drink sector.
“Our industry continues to show resilience in the face of multiple challenges including the war in Ukraine and sharply rising costs. It is important the government supports food and drink exporters to help us drive further growth in new markets that will support the UK’s economic recovery.”
The FDF also commented on the UK Government’s current trade agreement negotiations with India, saying: “We hope it can deliver positive outcomes to further grow our exports.
“A carefully targeted trade deal that addresses India’s prohibitively high tariffs would help unlock valuable export opportunities for UK producers.”
