Accredited official statistics

Chapter 13: Overseas trade

Published 10 July 2025

Summary

Key results for 2024 and compared to 2023 in real terms (adjusted for trade price inflation).

• The value of food, feed and drink exports decreased by £0.6 billion (2.3%) to £24.6 billion.
• The value of food, feed and drink imports increased by £4.0 billion (6.6%) to £64.1 billion.
• The trade gap in food, feed and drink increased by £4.6 billion (13%) to £39.5 billion.
• Principal destinations for exports were Ireland (£4.3 billion), France (£2.9 billion), the United States (£2.7 billion) and the Netherlands (£1.8 billion).
• The main countries of dispatch for imports into the UK were the Netherlands (£7.7 billion), France (£6.1 billion), Ireland (£5.4 billion) and Belgium (£5.0 billion).
• Whisky continued to have the highest export value, totalling £5.5 billion. This was a decrease of 9.0% compared to the previous year.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables together remained the highest value category for imports, totalling £7.8 billion, an increase of 12%.
• Exports of fresh vegetables rose by 13% to £95 million, and exports of fresh fruit also rose by 2.7% to £73 million.

Introduction

The Overseas Trade Statistics presented in this chapter are based on data collected by HM Revenue and Customs and are compiled from returns made by importers and exporters. Before the completion of the Single Market in the European Union at the end of 1992, all overseas trade data for the United Kingdom was compiled from Customs declarations made by traders. From the beginning of 1993 until the end of 2020, the collection of trade statistics was divided into two categories: that transacted between the United Kingdom and countries outside the European Union (extra-EU trade) and that between the United Kingdom and its European Union partners (intra-EU trade). In this period, extra-EU trade statistics were compiled, as before, from Customs declarations by importers, exporters and their agents, while intra-EU trade statistics were compiled using a system linked to traders’ VAT returns, known as Intrastat. In 2021, following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, there was a transitional approach to data collection due to the introduction of staged customs controls for imports from the European Union. All exports from the United Kingdom (except those from Northern Ireland to the EU) were compiled from customs declarations whilst imports to the United Kingdom from the European Union continued to be collected using the Intrastat system. From 2022 onwards, all trade statistics (except imports and exports between Northern Ireland and the European Union, for which Intrastat remains in place) are compiled from Customs declarations. These changes to data collection methods are known to have some impact on the trade statistics and some care should be taken when interpreting changes for recent years.

The trade statistics shown here may not match those shown in the commodities tables in Chapter 8 where, for example, trade in meat includes the carcase weight equivalent of trade in live animals and trade in milk is of raw milk before processing, and not of processed and packaged milk and cream as shown here.

Data for 2024 remain provisional until September 2025 and will be updated in next year’s Agriculture in the UK publication.

Value of trade in food, feed and drink

Figure 13.1 Value of trade in food, feed and drink at 2024 prices (£ million); United Kingdom

Enquiries: trade-stats@defra.gov.uk

Notes:

1. The grey dotted line at 2021 represents the end of the Transition Period. This marks a change in the data source for GB to EU exports, from Intrastat to customs declaration. At the same time, the level of imports from the EU may be lower in 2021 due to the retention of Intrastat for GB to EU imports as a result of staged customs controls. Some imports from the EU to GB were double counted in 2022 following the end of staged customs controls and the change from Intrastat to Customs declarations. This means that trade before and after this point is not directly comparable.

Text description of Figure 13.1: Figure 13.1 is a line chart showing the value of trade in millions of pounds at 2024 prices, split by imports and exports. From 2000 until 2019, both imports and exports steadily increased. Since this point, the trend for both imports and exports has been slightly downward, albeit with annual fluctuations, especially for imports.

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The value of exports of food, feed and drink was £24.6 billion in 2024. To compare 2024 exports with previous years, it is necessary to adjust for the effects of trade inflation. After adjusting for trade price inflation, the value of exports was £0.6 billion or 2.3% lower in 2024 than in 2023 and £3.7 billion or 13% lower than in 2018 (pre-pandemic and pre-EU Exit).

The value of imports of food, feed and drink was £64.1 billion in 2024. Adjusting for trade price inflation, the value of imports was £4.0 billion or 6.6% higher in 2024 than in 2023 but £1.7 billion or 2.5% lower than in 2018 (pre-pandemic and pre-EU Exit).

The trade gap for food, feed and drink increased by 13% between 2023 and 2024. Over the longer term, after adjusting for trade price inflation, the trade gap has widened by 22% since 2005 from £32.4 billion to £39.5 billion in 2024.

For exports of specific food, feed and drink types, the largest percentage increase, after adjusting for trade price inflation, between 2023 and 2024 was for fish & fish preparations for which there was a rise of 12% to £2.0 billion. The largest percentage reductions, after adjusting for trade price inflation, from 2023 to 2024 were for exports of cereals & cereal preparations which decreased by 13% to £2.4 billion, followed by beverages which fell by 8.2% to £8.2 billion.

In real terms, imports of cereals & cereal preparations increased by 14% to £7.0 billion between 2023 and 2024. This was followed by imports of coffee, tea, cocoa, spices, etc. which increased by 13% to £6.0 billion and vegetables & fruit which rose by 12% to £14.4 billion. The largest percentage reduction in imports was seen in sugars, sugar preparations & honey which fell by 8.4% from 2023 to £1.8 billion in 2024.

Value of trade in food, feed and drink by types of commodity

Table 13.1a and 13.1b - Value of trade in food, feed and drink at 2024 prices (£ million); United Kingdom

Enquiries: trade-stats@defra.gov.uk

Table 13.1a Exports

SITC Division Code	Type	2022	2023	2024
Exports
01	Meat & Meat Preps	2,347	2,095	2,127
02	Dairy & Eggs	2,330	2,062	2,124
03	Fish & Fish Preps	1,793	1,741	1,957
04	Cereals & Cereal Preps	2,893	2,751	2,407
05	Fruit and Veg & Preps	1,091	1,006	1,017
06	Sugar & Sugar Preps	398	444	425
07	Coffee, Tea, Etc.	1,854	1,701	1,805
08	Animal Feed	1,284	1,192	1,201
09	Misc. Edible Preps	2,645	2,559	2,570
11	Beverages	10,693	8,929	8,196
22 + S4	Oils/Fats & Oilseeds	905	649	724
	Total	28,234	25,130	24,552

Table 13.1b Imports

SITC Division Code	Type	2022	2023	2024
Imports
01	Meat & Meat Preps	9,117	7,838	8,462
02	Dairy & Eggs	4,096	3,913	4,226
03	Fish & Fish Preps	3,806	3,271	3,450
04	Cereals & Cereal Preps	6,863	6,105	6,974
05	Fruit and Veg & Preps	13,225	12,853	14,449
06	Sugar & Sugar Preps	1,913	2,003	1,835
07	Coffee, Tea, Etc.	5,805	5,298	6,005
08	Animal Feed	3,417	3,342	3,396
09	Misc. Edible Preps	5,177	4,457	4,572
11	Beverages	8,248	7,786	7,505
22 + S4	Oils/Fats & Oilseeds	4,101	3,192	3,178
	Total	65,769	60,059	64,053

Source: HMRC

Table 13.1c and 13.1d - Value of trade in food, feed and drink with EU countries at 2024 prices (£ million); United Kingdom

Enquiries: trade-stats@defra.gov.uk

Table 13.1c Exports

SITC Division Code	Type	2022	2023	2024
Exports
01	Meat & Meat Preps	1,793	1,642	1,669
02	Dairy & Eggs	1,767	1,479	1,589
03	Fish & Fish Preps	1,230	1,192	1,311
04	Cereals & Cereal Preps	2,086	2,021	1,665
05	Fruit and Veg & Preps	731	716	719
06	Sugar & Sugar Preps	265	272	315
07	Coffee, Tea, Etc.	1,176	1,180	1,319
08	Animal Feed	726	681	687
09	Misc. Edible Preps	1,492	1,465	1,437
11	Beverages	3,602	3,077	2,891
22 + S4	Oils/Fats & Oilseeds	811	534	501
	Total	15,679	14,260	14,102

Table 13.1d Imports

SITC Division Code	Type	2022	2023	2024
Imports
01	Meat & Meat Preps	7,888	6,599	6,831
02	Dairy & Eggs	4,043	3,865	4,129
03	Fish & Fish Preps	881	822	761
04	Cereals & Cereal Preps	5,619	4,917	5,709
05	Fruit and Veg & Preps	8,722	8,307	9,110
06	Sugar & Sugar Preps	1,146	1,286	1,175
07	Coffee, Tea, Etc.	3,847	3,722	4,197
08	Animal Feed	2,222	2,014	2,027
09	Misc. Edible Preps	3,965	3,666	3,675
11	Beverages	6,681	6,328	6,005
22 + S4	Oils/Fats & Oilseeds	2,647	1,974	1,887
	Total	47,660	43,499	45,505

Source: HMRC

Table 13.1e and 13.1f - Value of trade in food, feed and drink with non-EU countries at 2024 prices (£ million); United Kingdom

Enquiries: trade-stats@defra.gov.uk

Table 13.1e Exports

SITC Division Code	Type	2022	2023	2024
Exports
01	Meat & Meat Preps	554	454	458
02	Dairy & Eggs	562	583	536
03	Fish & Fish Preps	563	549	646
04	Cereals & Cereal Preps	807	731	742
05	Fruit and Veg & Preps	360	290	298
06	Sugar & Sugar Preps	133	172	110
07	Coffee, Tea, Etc.	679	521	485
08	Animal Feed	558	510	514
09	Misc. Edible Preps	1,152	1,094	1,133
11	Beverages	7,091	5,852	5,305
22 + S4	Oils/Fats & Oilseeds	95	115	223
	Total	12,555	10,871	10,450

Table 13.1f Imports

SITC Division Code	Type	2022	2023	2024
Exports
01	Meat & Meat Preps	1,229	1,239	1,630
02	Dairy & Eggs	53	48	97
03	Fish & Fish Preps	2,925	2,448	2,689
04	Cereals & Cereal Preps	1,244	1,188	1,265
05	Fruit and Veg & Preps	4,504	4,547	5,339
06	Sugar & Sugar Preps	767	717	660
07	Coffee, Tea, Etc.	1,958	1,576	1,808
08	Animal Feed	1,196	1,328	1,370
09	Misc. Edible Preps	1,212	792	897
11	Beverages	1,567	1,458	1,501
22 + S4	Oils/Fats & Oilseeds	1,453	1,219	1,291
	Total	18,108	16,561	18,548

Source: HMRC

Notes: (tables 13.1a to 13.1f)

Defra’s aggregate ‘Food, Feed and Drink’ is composed of the following divisions from the Standard International Trade Classification:

1. Meat [01]: meat from cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry, horses etc.; preparations including blood, juices, sausages, livers, offal.
2. Dairy [02]: includes milk (skimmed or otherwise), butter, buttermilk, cream, yoghurt, ice cream, whey, cheese and curd, all types of eggs both in and out of shell.
3. Fish [03]: All types of edible marine life excluding mammals, fresh, frozen, processed, prepared or preserved.
4. Cereals [04]: includes rice, wheat, barley, oats, maize, grain sorghum and preparations including sweet biscuits, waffles, gingerbread, and uncooked/unstuffed pasta.
5. Fruit and vegetables [05]: includes fresh, frozen or prepared fruit (except crystallised) and vegetables, nuts (except groundnuts), vegetable and fruit juices of all kinds except wine (see division 11), jams, marmalades, fruit or nut puree/paste etc.
6. Sugar [06]: includes both natural sugar and sugar confectionery (but not chocolate or cocoa), both natural and artificial honey, and liquorice.
7. Coffee, tea, etc. [07]: includes all types of tea, coffee (e.g. green, decaffeinated), extracts and substitutes thereof; cocoa and chocolate (of all kinds): all kinds of spices.
8. Animal feed [08]: includes hay, fodder, bran, sharps and other residues derived from cereals or leguminous plants, oil-cake and other solid residues, other residues, brewing dregs, all types of pet or animal food.
9. Miscellaneous [09]: includes margarine, shortening, homogenised products or preparations not elsewhere specified, sauces, vinegar, soups, yeasts, cooked/stuffed pasta, food preparations for infant use.
10. Beverages [11]: includes alcoholic drinks of all kinds; also natural or artificial mineral and aerated waters sweetened or otherwise.
11. Oils [22+S4]: includes groundnuts (peanuts), soya beans, sunflower seeds, rape seeds, palm nuts, linseed, poppy seeds etc., lard, pig fat, olive oil, rape oil, corn oil, linseed oil, beeswax etc.
12. Division 00, which covers all live animals, is excluded from the aggregate ‘Food, Feed and Drink’ because it includes non-food animals, particularly race horses. S4 stands for Section 4 in the SITC and covers animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes.
13. Figures for 2024 are provisional and subject to revision.

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Total value of trade in food, feed and drink by trading partner

Figure 13.2 Exports of food, feed and drink by country of destination 2024 (£ million); United Kingdom

Enquiries: trade-stats@defra.gov.uk

Country	£ million
Ireland	4269
France	2854
United States	2674
Netherlands	1764
Germany	1101
Belgium	768
Spain	717
China	711
Poland	522
Italy	517

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Figure 13.3 Imports of food, feed and drink by country of dispatch 2024 (£ million); United Kingdom

Enquiries: trade-stats@defra.gov.uk

Country	£ million
Netherlands	7735
France	6051
Ireland	5435
Belgium	5014
Germany	4826
Spain	4262
Italy	4037
Poland	3461
Denmark	1367
United States	1287

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Value of exports and imports by degree of processing

Trade in food, feed and drink covers a wide range of products from raw agricultural commodities through to lightly processed foods such as meat, cheese and butter, powdered milk, flour and sugar to highly processed products such as confectionery, canned meats, jams, alcoholic drinks and ice cream. By grouping foods into unprocessed, lightly processed and highly processed, additional insights in trading patterns can be found.

Figure 13.4 Exports in food, feed and drink by degree of processing at 2024 prices (£ million); United Kingdom

Enquiries: trade-stats@defra.gov.uk

Notes:

1. The grey dotted line at 2021 represents the end of the Transition Period. This marks a change in the data source for GB to EU exports, from Intrastat to customs declaration. This means that trade before and after this point is not directly comparable.

Text description of Figure 13.4: Figure 13.4 is a line chart showing the value of food, feed, and drink exports in millions of pounds at 2024 prices, broken down by degree of processing. Between 2010 and 2019, exports of highly and lightly processed goods increased steadily. Since 2019, exports for both categories have tended to decline, but with greater fluctuation for highly processed goods. Between 2010 and 2024, exports of unprocessed goods remained relatively stable.

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Exports of highly processed foods such as confectionery, canned meats, jams, alcoholic drinks and ice cream were 1.2% lower in 2024 than in 2014 after adjusting for trade price inflation. Exports of lightly processed food and drink, i.e. goods that retain their raw recognisable form, such as meat, cheese, butter, and oils & fats were 6.3% lower in 2024 than in 2014 after adjusting for trade price inflation. Exports of unprocessed commodities, such as fresh fruit & vegetables, nuts, un-milled cereal and eggs, were 15% lower in 2024 than in 2014 after adjusting for trade price inflation.

Figure 13.5 Imports in food, feed and drink by degree of processing at 2024 prices (£ million); United Kingdom

Enquiries: trade-stats@defra.gov.uk

Notes:

1. The grey dotted line at 2021 represents the end of the Transition Period. The level of imports from the EU may be lower in 2021 due to the retention of Intrastat for GB to EU imports as a result of staged customs controls. Some imports from the EU to GB were double counted in 2022 following the end of staged customs controls and the change from Intrastat to Customs declarations. This means that trade before and after this point is not directly comparable.

Text description of Figure 13.5: Figure 13.5 is a line chart showing the value of food, feed, and drink imports in millions of pounds at 2024 prices, broken down by degree of processing. Between 2010 and 2019, imports of lightly and highly processed goods increased steadily. Imports of highly processed goods have broadly stabilised since 2020, albeit with some small annual fluctuations. Imports of lightly processed goods reduced in 2020 and 2021 and although the annual totals have tended to fluctuate more than for highly processed goods, the average remains below pre-pandemic levels. Between 2010 and 2022, imports of unprocessed goods increased steadily, but fell in 2023 before recovering in 2024.

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After adjusting for trade price inflation, imports of highly processed food and drink increased by 12% between 2014 and 2024. Imports of lightly processed food and drink decreased by 0.4% and imports of unprocessed commodities increased by 22%.

Value and volume of trade in key commodities

Historically, the value of exports across a range of commodities broadly tended to increase year on year. However, in 2014 and 2015, commodity prices for many sectors fell due to a slowdown in global economic markets and the effect of exchange rates. Subsequent years saw a return to export growth in most of the main product groups. Since 2018, the COVID-19 pandemic and EU Exit (including changes to data collection methods) have affected trade statistics.

After adjusting for trade price inflation, the value of exports of whisky, the highest valued individual food, feed and drink export item, decreased by 9.0% in real terms from 2023 to £5.5 billion in 2024, but was 5.2% higher than 2014. Exports of salmon increased by 41% from 2023 to £948 million in 2024 and were 16% higher than in 2014 in real terms, after adjusting for trade price inflation. The value of exports of unmilled wheat decreased compared to previous years, falling to £35 million (a reduction of 88% in real terms from 2023), driven by the lower UK harvest. Note that trade for this commodity can fluctuate considerably between years, influenced by various conditions such as the quality and size of the UK harvest and global commodity prices.

In 2024, exports of cheese were £888 million, a 9.6% increase compared with 2023 after adjusting for trade price inflation. Exports of breakfast cereals and pork fell for the fourth consecutive year. Breakfast cereal exports decreased by 7.3% between 2023 and 2024 to £522 million, while exports of pork reduced by 12% to £251 million.

Imports of fresh fruit rose by 16% in real terms from 2023 to £4.6 billion in 2024, after adjusting for trade price inflation. Over the same period, fresh vegetable imports increased by 5.9% to £3.2 billion. Both figures reflect a return to levels observed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the UK’s exit from the EU. Imports of unmilled wheat increased by 50% between 2023 and 2024, after adjusting for trade price inflation, to £699 million.

The value of wine imports decreased by 5.0% in real terms, after adjusting for trade price inflation, from 2023 to £3.9 billion in 2024, while the value of wine exported from the UK decreased by 28% from 2023 to £385 million in 2024.

The overall volume of exports of food, feed and drink decreased by 9.5% from 2024 to 10.8 million tonnes in 2024. The trend over the last decade has been slightly downwards year-on-year. Import volumes have fluctuated over the past decade, reaching a peak in 2024 at 43.2 million tonnes. This is an increase of 9.3% compared with 2023 and 13% compared with 2014. Source: UK trade info.

The food, feed and drink index provides a comparison of trade which accounts for the value density of different food groups. For example, high value per tonne exports (e.g. whisky) are given more weight in this indicator than low value per tonne exports (e.g. wheat and barley). According to the index, food, feed and drink exports in 2024 increased by 3.0% from 2023, while imports increased by 4.5%.

Table 13.2a and 13.2b Trade in key commodities in real terms at 2024 prices (£ million); United Kingdom

Enquiries: trade-stats@defra.gov.uk

Table 13.2a Exports

Commodity	2022	2023	2024
Whisky	7,378	6,086	5,537
Wine	642	532	385
Cheese	857	810	888
Poultry meat	243	201	212
Poultry meat products	112	119	111
Beef and veal	613	502	568
Wheat, unmilled	281	283	35
Lamb and mutton	563	561	583
Pork	357	285	251
Breakfast cereals	576	563	522
Milk and cream	444	366	371
Bacon and ham	55	48	32
Butter	289	219	227
Eggs and egg products	117	110	146
Fresh vegetables	92	83	95
Fresh fruit	69	71	73
Salmon (inc. smoked)	729	674	948

Table 13.2b Imports

Commodity	2022	2023	2024
Whisky	202	217	191
Wine	4,474	4,145	3,938
Cheese	2,043	1,962	2,078
Poultry meat	1,979	1,525	1,644
Poultry meat products	1,612	1,526	1,678
Beef and veal	1,508	1,203	1,388
Wheat, unmilled	626	467	699
Lamb and mutton	321	219	326
Pork	876	939	954
Breakfast cereals	377	355	385
Milk and cream	250	157	229
Bacon and ham	742	652	656
Butter	317	249	309
Eggs and egg products	250	350	302
Fresh vegetables	2,999	3,019	3,197
Fresh fruit	4,076	3,929	4,570
Salmon (inc. smoked)	716	645	671

Source: HMRC

Notes: See notes for table 13.3

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Table 13.3a and 13.3b Trade in key commodities by volume (thousand tonnes unless otherwise specified); United Kingdom

Enquiries: trade-stats@defra.gov.uk

Table 13.3a Exports

Commodity	2022	2023	2024
Whisky (million litres pure alcohol)	478	387	400
Wine (million litres)	33	26	20
Cheese	176	180	197
Poultry meat	254	205	225
Poultry meat products	26	28	25
Beef and veal	124	104	113
Wheat, unmilled	865	1,155	166
Lamb and mutton	75	85	80
Pork	190	130	122
Breakfast cereals	179	160	151
Milk and cream	787	769	775
Bacon and ham	17	14	10
Butter	49	54	43
Eggs and egg products	32	30	34
Fresh vegetables	96	75	75
Fresh fruit	38	36	34
Salmon (inc. smoked)	91	77	116
Food, feed and drink index, 2009=100	117	106	109

Table 13.3b Imports

Commodity	2022	2023	2024
Whisky (million litres pure alcohol)	19	20	16
Wine (million litres)	1,314	1,249	1,277
Cheese	412	434	451
Poultry meat	503	515	534
Poultry meat products	420	439	474
Beef and veal	234	224	241
Wheat, unmilled	1,634	1,708	3,083
Lamb and mutton	54	48	68
Pork	322	332	340
Breakfast cereals	129	131	134
Milk and cream	306	237	266
Bacon and ham	202	181	177
Butter	54	58	64
Eggs and egg products	77	106	106
Fresh vegetables	2,044	2,063	2,178
Fresh fruit	3,277	3,148	3,298
Salmon (inc. smoked)	93	84	87
Food, feed and drink index, 2009=100	118	115	120

Source: HMRC

Notes: (Tables 13.2 and 13.3)

1. Figures for 2024 are provisional and subject to revision
2. Whisky includes bourbon, scotch (malted and blended) and other whiskies.
3. Wine includes grape must, vermouth and wine of fresh grapes (sparkling and still).
4. Cheese includes grated or powdered, processed, blue-veined and fresh (e.g. curd).
5. Poultry meat (inc. poultry offal) includes carcase meat, cuts and offal (inc. liver).
6. Poultry meat products includes prepared, preserved, salted or cooked poultry meat and offal (inc. liver).
7. Beef and veal includes carcase meat and cuts, both bone-in and boneless.
8. Wheat, unmilled includes durum, other wheat (inc. spelt) and meslin.
9. Lamb and mutton includes carcase meat and cuts, both bone-in and boneless.
10. Pork includes carcase meat and cuts, both bone-in and boneless.
11. Breakfast cereals includes cereal grains worked or prepared for breakfast cereals
12. Milk and cream includes milk (inc. skimmed milk) and cream, not concentrated or sweetened.
13. Fresh vegetables excludes potatoes, dried legumes and processed vegetables.
14. Fresh fruit excludes jams, juices, dried and processed fruit.
15. Salmon (inc. smoked) includes fresh, chilled, frozen or smoked, but not canned.
16. Note: Definitions of ‘fresh vegetables’ and ‘fresh fruit’ used have been revised in 2009 to be consistent with those used for AUK Chapter 5.

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