Most affected by the slump: salmon with a minus of 98 percent, beef with 91 percent and pork with 86 percent. The British export hit whiskey collapsed by 63 percent.

9.15 p.m., March 22, 2021

Food exports from Great Britain to the European Union fell by three quarters in January compared to the same month last year. The British food association Food and Drink Federation (FDF) announced on Monday. 80 percent less food from Great Britain was exported to Germany.

The worst hit by the slump are salmon with a minus of 98 percent, beef with 91 percent and pork with 86 percent. The British export hit whiskey collapsed by 63 percent.

The association said that non-tariff trade barriers caused by Brexit were responsible for the slump in exports. These are, for example, food certificates. In addition, British companies in the EU had replenished their stocks before leaving the internal market and customs union at the turn of the year. The coronavirus pandemic also plays a subordinate role. In comparison, exports to non-EU countries only fell by around 11 percent.

“Extremely Concerning”

The slump in exports to the EU is “extremely worrying,” said Dominic Goudie, who is responsible for international trade at the FDF. “Businesses face significant challenges when doing business with the EU”, says Goudie. He warned that something similar would also be in store for EU exporters if Great Britain carried out its goods controls in full in the coming year. Various transition periods currently still apply.

Imports from the EU also fell for the most part, although not to the same extent. In the first month of this year, Great Britain imported around 34 percent less food from Germany than in January 2020.