Food and drink exports to Europe fall by a quarter after Brexit – The Independent

New figures have shown that UK food and drink exports to the EU plunged by almost a quarter in the nine months after Boris Johnsons Brexit deal took effect, compared to pre-pandemic levels, with a loss of 2.4bn in sales.

Exports to big European markets were hit hard, with sales to Spain down by more than half (50.6 per cent) on 2019 levels, Germany by 44.5 per cent and Italy by 43.3 per cent, according to the Food and Drink Federation. Sales to the industrys largest overseas market, the Republic of Ireland, were down by more than a quarter.

And industry leaders warned that the downturn could be here to stay, in a blow not only to Mr Johnsons global Britain aspirations but also his plans to level up disadvantaged parts of the country.

The FDF said that the slump in sales could be blamed both on new barriers to trade created by Brexit and Mr Johnsons Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with Brussels, and on the global Covid-19 pandemic.

But figures showed that UK sales of food and drink products to non-EU markets rose by 11 per cent in the first three quarters of 2021, suggesting that Brexit is to blame for the lions share of lost trade with Europe. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were worst affected.

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Food and drink exports to Europe fall by a quarter after Brexit - The Independent