Five Years After Brexit, UK Sales Of Agricultural Products To The EU Down Nearly 40% [View all]

Womp Womp.

Exports of British farm products to the EU have dropped almost 40% in the five years since Brexit, highlighting the trade barriers caused by the UK’s divorce from the EU in 2020. Analysis of HMRC data by the National Farmers’ Union shows the decline in sales of everything from British beef to cheddar cheese has dropped by 37.4% in the five years since 2019, the last full year before Brexit.

The poultry sector has been hit hardest with exports down 37.7%, followed by beef exports, which are down 23.6%, lamb 14% and dairy 15.6%. Tom Bradshaw, the NFU president, said not all of the decline could be put down to Brexit but it showed the scale of damage caused by the UK leaving the European Union.

He warned removing the trading barriers would not magically revive EU markets for the British food sector. “Simply reducing friction doesn’t mean we are going to get the EU market back again. There aren’t empty spaces on the shelves with a label saying ‘waiting for British products’.”

In other words, it could take years to restore Brexit losses. “Rebuilding demand will take time, effort and real focus,” he said.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/07/brexit-farm-products-sales-eu