British food and drink exports to EU fall £2bn in first quarter

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Around £2bn in UK exports to the EU was wiped out in the first quarter of this year, thanks to Brexit, analysis from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) found, reports The Guardian. Every one of the UK’s top 10 food and beverage exports to the EU declined by double-digit percentages, compared with both 2020 and 2019, with dairy products down 90% year on year. And it’s not all one-way decline: EU exports to the UK were also down across the board, with wine shipments down 20%. “The loss of £2bn of exports to the EU is a disaster for our industry and is a very clear indication of the scale of losses UK manufacturers face in the longer-term, due to new trade barriers with the EU,” said Dominic Goudie, the FDF’s head of international trade.