Pre-pandemic trends return to UK beef trade
However, volumes were up 7% year-on-year. This brings the year-to-date (Jan-Sep) volume of exported beef to 119,600 tonnes, a 23% increase compared to the same period last year, but 7% behind the equivalent pre-Brexit volumes of 2020.
For the first 9 months of 2022, shipments to the EU grew 46% year-on-year to total 97,200 tonnes. Ireland, France, and the Netherlands remained the key recipients. Volumes shipped to other key nations have seen mixed movement for the year-to-date. Hong Kong has seen the largest year-on-year decline in volume terms (-5,000 tonnes) followed closely by the Philippines (-3,400 tonnes), while the US saw a more marginal decline (-500 tonnes). South African shipments have also slipped. On the other hand, shipments to Japan have grown by 1,400 tonnes year-on-year, with shipments to Canada, China and Ghana also growing.
Although total export volumes are not at levels seen in 2019-2020, shipments are closer to historic levels. Looking at products, export volumes of fresh beef have increased 56% year-on-year to total 64,100 tonnes, the second highest volume of fresh product in the last 5 years. Frozen product has declined 6% year-on-year to 29,100 tonnes. Volumes of processed beef (inc. corned beef) have totalled 6,200 tonnes in 2022 so far, a 56% increase year-on-year. However, exports of offal fell 5% compared to 2021, and remain notably below historic volumes.
UK imports of beef have remained flat month-on-month in September, with volumes totalling 24,400 tonnes (including fresh and frozen beef, processed beef and offal). However, this marked a 28% decrease compared to the same month last year. This brings the year-to-date (Jan-Sep) volume to 222,400 tonnes, a year-on-year increase of 5%.
The EU and Brazil have provided the largest volumes at 200,000 tonnes (+5%) and 16,400 tonnes (+2%) respectively. However, there have been mixed movements among individual EU suppliers. Irish shipments have decreased by 3% (4,000 tonnes), with volumes also falling from other smaller suppliers like the Netherlands and Spain. However, growth in shipments from other EU countries such as Germany in particular (+9,000 tonnes) and Poland (+1,900 tonnes) have outweighed losses elsewhere.
Fresh beef is the only product category to see lower imports vs 2021 for the year so far, at 105,200 tonnes (-9%). This is the lowest volume of fresh product imported for Jan-Sep in the last 5 years, in contrast to exports. Volumes of frozen, processed (including corned beef) and offal have all posted growth year-on-year. The frozen and offal categories show the second highest volumes for the past 5 years increasing year-on-year by 18% to 66,300 tonnes and 46% to 13,000 tonnes respectively.
"The Sense of Meat" has the main objective of conveying that meat and meat products are part...
The current quota for New Zealand beef exports to the EU is 1,102 tonnes with a 20% tariff. New Z...
In its new edition, the ABPA 2024 Annual Report provides an overview of strategic issues for sect...
