UK meat exports reach US$2.69B
Meat shipments rise 12% in value while dairy revenues climb 17%
UK – The United Kingdom’s meat exports generated US$2.69bn in 2025, a 12% increase from the previous year, according to figures compiled from HMRC data and released by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
That performance in meat trade contributed to total overseas sales of meat and dairy products reaching US$5.39bn in 2025, marking the first time the combined value has moved beyond the US$5bn threshold.
While AHDB did not immediately publish detailed meat volume data, the organisation said it has requested further breakdowns as part of ongoing analysis of trade flows across red meat categories.
Dairy exports approach US$3bn
Alongside higher meat revenues, UK dairy exports rose almost 17% year on year to US$2.96bn in 2025, reflecting stronger pricing and higher shipment volumes across most product groups.
In volume terms, dairy shipments increased 9.1% compared with 2024 to reach 1.35 million tonnes, with growth recorded in all segments except yogurt and buttermilk.
AHDB categorises dairy exports into butter and other fats, cheese and curd, milk and cream, powdered and condensed milk, whey and whey products, and yogurt and buttermilk, and reported that export earnings advanced across each category over the year.
Milk and cream recorded the largest rise in tonnage, climbing by 49,200 tonnes or 6.2% mainly through increased deliveries to Ireland, China, Spain and France, while the value of those shipments rose 17.2% to US$651.8m.
Cheese and curd remained the highest earning dairy export, bringing in US$1.31bn in 2025, which was 9.4% higher than in 2024 as volumes increased 4.4% to 205,774 tonnes.
Import trends
As exports expanded, dairy imports into the UK also moved higher, with volumes up 1.9% to 1.27 million tonnes driven by greater inflows of cheese, curd and yogurt products.
Imports from New Zealand continued to rise following the implementation of the bilateral free trade agreement in 2023, although the sharp increase seen in 2024 eased last year, with shipments still growing by 3,500 tonnes or 29.9%.
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