Food export volumes in the UK increased by 7.2% in the first half of 2025, according to the latest figures from The Food and Drink Federation.

The recovery comes after a decline in food and drink exports last year. In the first six months of this year, the UK exported 4.5bn kg and 590m litres of food and drink to more than 200 countries.

However, the FDF is urging the Government to work alongside food and drink industry experts to accelerate the growth of exports, with volumes remaining 13% lower than 2023.

Trade with the EU increased by 4.2%, while trade with non-EU countries went up by 10.6% compared to the same period last year.

Balwinder Dhoot, Director of Growth and Sustainability at The Food and Drink Federation said: “It’s positive to see an increase in export volumes compared with last year, and now we need to go further. Government and industry can work together to use this as a springboard to turbocharge export growth.

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The FDF is calling on the Government to come to a Sanitary and PhytoSanitary measures agreement with the EU to simplify border trade, which the UK has been actively working on.

Dhoot added: “We want to work with the Government to create a clear and ambitious target to boost the UK’s overseas food and drink sales, with a long-term plan to help us hit it.

“This could include improving access to global markets like Turkey and Mexico, ensuring the smooth implementation of an EU SPS agreement, bringing down US tariffs where they’re higher than those paid by the EU, and supporting businesses that want to trade with new markets. This would help give industry a much-needed boost, helping businesses to sell more world-class British food and drink around the globe.”