Exports
There is no better time than now for food and drink manufacturers to focus on growing exports.
If you don't believe us then take a look at some of the success stories of
our members.
Below is some useful information on where to go to find export help and
what FDF is doing to support its members and the industry to export more.
UK export statistics
FDF publishes an annual report on the food and drink export performance of the
UK. Food and Drink
exports is one of the great stories for the UK and a great way to highlight the
strength of our industry
over the last few years.
You can view our reports on
the Exports statistics page.
Annual summary
- Headline data indicates a modest increase in UK food and drink exports,
up 2.5%
(y-o-y) to
£22.6bn in 2018, compared to growth of 9.7% in 2017.
- Export growth to EU markets was positive (+4.3%), whilst exports to non-
EU
markets declined
slightly over 2018 (-0.3%), raising the EU share of exports to 61.4%. Although
there has been a fall in
exports to the UK's non-EU trading partners, three of the top 20 non-EU markets
have shown growth
rates exceeding 10% (China, Australia, and Singapore).
- Positively, the food and drink trade deficit narrowed by 1.4% in 2018,
standing
at -£24.0bn, which
is £348.0m smaller than the same period in 2017.
- As shown in Figure 1, the overall value of exports has nearly doubled over the
past decade, from
£13.3bn in 2008 to £22.6bn last year.
- Beer and salmon have reported consistent negative growth in 2018. This
fall in
salmon was
mainly driven by the US (overall drop of £55bn, or 8,718 tonnes), and was
closely followed by
France, which saw a 6,406 tonne drop in salmon imports from the UK.
- On the other hand, whisky, chocolate, and cheese, the UK's top 3 food and drink
exports, have all
shown growth over 2018 in volume and value. Notably, chocolate and
cheese both
saw faster growth
in export volume over 2018 compared with 2017.
Read more about how FDF is supporting food and drink exporters
Find out about our Five Steps to Food and Drink
Exporting Success developed by FDF and Food and Drink Exporters Association
(FDEA).
Last reviewed: 28 Aug 2019