Food and drink export volumes from the UK declined by 8.9 per cent in Q1 2026 compared to Q1 2025, which marks the lowest levels in a decade.

According to the latest figures from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), the decrease in exports was primarily due to a drop in exports beyond the EU, which fell over a tenth (11.5 per cent) compared to the year prior.

In the first quarter of 2026 food and drink exports decreased by 4.8 per cent to £5.7bn, which was heavily impacted by the fallout of US tariffs.

UK exports to the US declined by over a quarter (27.9 per cent) in value terms, which was affected by additional tariffs placed in April 2025.

Meanwhile, imports of food and drink to the UK grew by 2.6 per cent to around £16.3bn, which widened the gap between the UK’s food and drink exports and imports.

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Additionally, non-EU imports increased by 4.2 per cent in Q1 2026 in value terms compared to 2025, while EU imports went up by 1.9 per cent.

The cost of importing raw materials such as plastic packaging in the UK has risen by 38.6 per cent compared to January 2020, which has added to the pressure of producing food in the UK.

Karen Betts, CEO, FDF, said: “Food and drink businesses are part of the fabric of every community in the UK, and it’s concerning to see them struggling to compete overseas. The UK produces world-class food and drink, drawing on our heritage and our reputation for innovation, but we have to be able to remain competitive overseas against local products.

“The costs of producing food and drink in the UK are higher than in many competitor economies, from energy to employment, and constantly changing regulation only adds to these.

“There is plenty government can do to improve the competitiveness of our food and drink exporters, many of which are SMEs, from helping companies to access the benefits of trade deals to lowering the cost of doing business in the UK.”