UK dairy exports to the EU plunge 90%

The UK’s increased cost of trading with the EU and significant customs delays since Brexit are driving the downturn

Exports performed better outside EU markets, clawing back to pre-pandemic levels for countries such as China, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea.

UK exports of products such as milk and cheese to the European Union collapsed by more than 90% during the first quarter from a year earlier, according to figures compiled by the Food and Drink Federation, based on tax data.

In what the trade group said was a “disaster” for the industry, overall food and drink shipments to the EU in the period were down £2bn (€2.33bn) from the corresponding three months in 2019.