Brexit bureaucracy is hitting UK food and drink sales to EU, sector warns

Brexit bureaucracy is hitting UK food and drink sales to EU, sector warns

Inconsistent and increasingly burdensome post-Brexit bureaucracy is blighting food and drink sales to the EU, the sector warned as it published analysis showing exports to the bloc were down 40 per cent in February compared with a year earlier. 

The UK Food and Drink Federation said on Monday that the latest UK government data painted a stark picture of the challenges facing companies, and especially smaller businesses, as they grapple with new veterinary and customs checks introduced on January 1.

The federation, which represents more than 800 companies, said the statistics showed that food and drink exports to the EU in February were worth £578.7m, down from £1bn in February 2020.

This was only marginally offset by an 8.7 per cent increase, worth £55.6m, in sales to non-EU countries in February compared with the same period last year.

Sales of milk and cream to the EU were down 96.4 per cent compared with February 2020, and exports of chicken and beef were both down more than 75 per cent. 

While the pandemic had been a factor in slowing trade, the federation said the clear sense from business was that Brexit was a driving force. Dominic Goudie, its head of international trade, said: "UK businesses continue