Sugar exports to the EU have plunged by 70%, highlighting the challenges facing UK growers
British food and drink export volumes to the European Union have fallen by more than a third compared with 2019, with sugar, poultry and egg producers among the hardest hit, according to new analysis by the NFU.
The findings, based on HMRC trade data, highlight the challenges facing British agricultural exporters as the government prepares for fresh negotiations aimed at reducing trade barriers with the EU.
Sugar exports fell by 70% in the year to July 2026 compared with the equivalent period in 2019, while poultry exports declined by 53% during the first seven months of this year.
Exports of eggs and egg products, including those used in baking and confectionery, dropped by 65% over the same seven-month period.
Full-year figures reveal an even sharper decline for the egg sector, with export volumes falling by 74% between 2019 and 2025.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: "The EU is our largest trading partner for agri-food products", accounting for 68% of the UK's agri-food exports last year.
However, overall trade volumes have fallen by more than a third since 2019, prompting renewed calls for action to improve market access for British farmers and food businesses.
Since new trading arrangements took effect in January 2021, exporters have faced additional customs paperwork, health certification and border inspections, increasing the complexity and cost of selling agricultural products into European markets.
The impact has extended beyond livestock products, with horticultural exports also falling by more than half compared with pre-Brexit levels.
Scottish seed potato growers have faced particularly significant restrictions, having lost routine access to the EU market following the introduction of new plant health requirements.
Before Brexit, Scotland exported approximately 20,000 tonnes of seed potatoes to Europe annually, worth almost £11 million.
The loss of established export routes has created difficulties for businesses seeking to maintain overseas customers, although changes in production, demand and wider market conditions may also have contributed to falling trade volumes.
The figures come ahead of a UK–EU summit in Brussels on 20 November, where reducing barriers to agricultural trade is expected to be a key priority.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to pursue closer trading arrangements, with the government seeking to cut costs and bureaucracy for British farmers and food producers.
Central to the discussions is a proposed sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, which could remove many routine border checks and certification requirements affecting food, animal and plant products.
The government is aiming for the agreement to take effect in mid-2027, although the timetable and final provisions remain subject to negotiations.
An agreement could also reopen trade in products currently facing restrictions, including Scottish seed potatoes and certain fresh meat products.
However, the NFU has warned that easier market access must be balanced against the potential impact of regulatory alignment on domestic food production.
In its negotiating priorities published on 14 October, the union called for transitional arrangements covering 13 pesticide active substances that remain approved in Great Britain but have been withdrawn in the EU.
It has also raised concerns about the future treatment of precision breeding technologies and rules affecting organic egg production.
The NFU wants farmers to retain access to effective crop protection products and benefit from sufficient transition periods to avoid disruption to established farming practices.
For exporters, the forthcoming negotiations could determine whether businesses can regain access to lost EU markets while adapting to any new regulatory requirements.
With agricultural export volumes remaining substantially below their 2019 levels, the outcome of the talks could have significant implications for British farming and food production.