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Regional Analysis - Export Markets

Regional analysis of performance of UK food and non-alcoholic exports across EU and non-EU regions.

In this section:

• EU
• Non-EU

EU

The performance of UK food and non-alcoholic exports across the EU in 2009 varied from a high of +29.6% to Portugal (a market on the bounce due to a rise in commodity cereals, as well as frozen cod and lamb) to a low of -27.5% to Denmark (with declines in large categories such as pork and frozen fish).

The larger EU markets have seen steady if not spectacular growth:

• Ireland (+5.7%, including 10.1% growth in breakfast cereals and 22.2% in sauces and condiments)
• France (+6.0%, including 13% growth in meat, +14.5% in lamb and +44.6% in fresh beef, as well as 24.5% growth in fish and seafood)
• The Netherlands (+9.0%, including 85.8% growth in fats and oils and 29.2% in fresh beef)

The progress of Central European countries seen in recent years has been largely halted. Poland's progress reversed with a 3.0% decline in 2009, Hungary is well down at -30.7% as are many of the smaller states. The major exceptions are the Czech Republic (+23.5%, driven by a 294.2% jump in meat exports), and Bulgaria (+27.4%, with 275.5% growth in fish and seafood).

Growth in exports to the Eurozone countries was 5.0%, higher than for the EU as a whole. Indeed, it was many of the non-Eurozone countries (such as Denmark, Hungary and Latvia) that saw steep falls in 2009.

Source: Leatherhead Food Research

Note: Eurozone members marked as bold. Changes in ranking positions are versus 2008.

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Non-EU

The non-EU region showing the highest rate of growth for UK food and drink exporters in 2009 was Oceania, up 15.9% including 17.2% growth to Australia and 6.8% growth to New Zealand.

Exports to North America were also well up at +14.8%, with the US and Canada showing strong performances, up 17.4% and 10.5% respectively.

Exports to Other Western Europe grew 11.9% with Switzerland leading the way at +15.4% (strongly led by meat), followed by Turkey at +13% (growth being driven by the dairy and bakery categories) and Norway at +9.2% (sugars +20.7%).

Asia remains a buoyant region as well, up 11.3% overall with Vietnam continuing to be one of the fastest growing non-EU markets, up 68.0% (with meat +54.8%) and China also progressing (+30.7% including fats and oils +190.8%). A decline of 7.5% to the leading Asian market of Japan, however, has dampened the performance of the region as a whole.

The Middle East region also continues to perform strongly up 10.8% with the two key Middle Eastern markets of the UAE and Saudi Arabia well up at +18.3% and +14.0% respectively.

The sluggish Russian market (-3.2%) has dragged down the non-EU Eastern Europe region (just +0.3% overall), whilst a 72.6% collapse in exports to Venezuela (due to a sharp drop in exports of milk powder), led to a 18.8% decline in exports to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Source: Leatherhead Food Research

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More information

• Top Export Sectors
• Top Export Markets
• 2008 figures - regional analysis, export markets

Download the full UK Food and Drink Performance (2009) statistics research report - pdf | 228kb

Research carried out by Leatherhead Food Research for the Food and Drink Federation (April 2010)