2025 Trade Snapshot: UK food & drink trade report
The 2025 Trade Snapshot reveals that food and drink exports reached a record £25.6bn last year, growing 4.8% year-on-year, while imports also reached a historic high of £66.9bn, up 5.9% compared to 2024.
However, export volumes still remain nearly a third lower than pre-Brexit levels, due to the complexities of trading with the EU. To revive EU exports, while sustaining growth in global markets, FDF is calling for government to help promote British products abroad and prioritise preparing businesses for the SPS Agreement.
Exporting & importing
Our 2025 trade snapshot breaks down the latest export and import figures, showing how UK food and drink trade performed over the year.
Exports of food and drink rise to £25.6bn
Total food and drink exports reached £25.6bn for 2025, the strongest annual export performance on record in value terms, with food and non-alcoholic drink exports growing 6.9% year-on-year. UK exporters continue to diversify across global markets and the top export destinations remain Ireland, France and the USA.
Food and drink imports reach historic highs of £66.9bn
UK food and drink imports also reached a historic high of £66.9bn in 2025, up 5.9% on 2024. Non–EU imports drove growth, with volumes climbing 17.1% in the past year. Brazil, Canada and China in particular led the way, reflecting expanding supply chain networks.
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement
The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement, due to come into force in mid-2027, aims to revitalise exports by removing the additional checks and certification businesses have faced when trading with the EU. With export volumes nearly a third lower than pre-Brexit levels, this new agreement is a positive step in improving our trading relationship with the EU. Early and transparent communication on the SPS framework is vital to ensure companies have time to assess implications and plan for compliance.
Free Trade Agreement opportunities
The updated UK–South Korea FTA and ongoing negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) present opportunities to reduce technical barriers and improve market access. A comprehensive GCC agreement should focus on cutting costs through harmonised certification and tariff reductions, while changes to the South Korea FTA will allow more flexible sourcing of ingredients through improved rules of origin.
Trouble with tariffs
The additional tariffs imposed by the US in the second half of 2025 had a significant impact on global supply chains. The UK’s exports to the US, our largest market outside the EU, dropped 8.9% in H2 2025 compared to H2 2024. This is a stark contrast to the 18.9% rise in the first half of 2025, before the full impact of the new tariff regime.
