UK meat and fish exports to the EU have slumped by almost half since Brexit, new analysis of trade figures has revealed.
The worrying plunge in food trade comes as Britain marks the seventh anniversary of the referendum result amid growing negativity about Brexit’s impact on the economy.
Meat exports to EU countries – as measured by weight – declined by 42 per cent from December 2020 to March 2023, according to Labour analysis of government trade data.
The shock figures also show a 45 per cent slide in the net mass of fish, crustacean and mollusc exported to Europe over the same period.
Keir Starmer’s party is demanding a new veterinary deal with Brussels to ease the “mountain of red tape” faced by British businesses trading with Britain’s nearest neighbours.
Labour ministers have written to environment secretary Therese Coffey, urging the government to take up the “practical fix” to ease the burden of costly checks which have also caused huge congestion at Dover.
Jim McMahon, Labour’s shadow environment secretary, blamed the Tory government for a “perfect storm of negligence which has hurt jobs, rocketed prices and damaged our food security”.
He added: “The Tories have failed at every turn; food producers are saddled with endless red tape and crippling production costs and households are being squeezed on their weekly food shop beyond any limits.”
Food sector chiefs have also called for a UK-EU veterinary agreement to ease trade barriers, since it would remove the need for extra Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) checks on goods.
Business leaders have warned of further pain ahead for Britain’s food retailers, with costly new set of checks on EU imports kicking in from October – including a fee of up to £43 per consignment of food from the bloc.
The new charge – outlined in a consultation issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) – comes alongside separate fees for customs agents and SPS inspections.
Despite ruling out re-joining the single market or customs union, Labour’s foreign secretary David Lammy has hinted that the party’s policy could inch forward to forge closer ties with Brussels.
Mr Lammy told LBC on Thursday that the idea of a veterinary deal to ease some food trade issues is a “floor not a ceiling” and said he wants “to hear what business has got to say over the coming months”.
It comes as former Brussels negotiator Michel Barnier told The Independent that the EU would be willing to thrash out new treaties with the UK in areas like security, defence or development where Boris Johnson “refused to negotiate”.
But Mr Barnier also dismissed suggestions that trade barriers could be resolved without membership of the single market or customs union – dashing hopes of British businesses that have struggled under the new arrangements.
More than 50 per cent believe that the UK was wrong to leave the EU, according to a new Deltapoll survey for the Tony Blair Institute. And only 18 per cent of Leave voters believe it’s been a success, polling for UK in a Changing Europe has found.
The government has said its proposed charges of £20 to £43 per import consignment was needed under new post-Brexit checks.
“We are currently consulting with the sector and businesses to ensure we take the fairest approach that works for them, while also facilitating the movement of goods into the country and protecting our biosecurity,” said a spokesperson.
The Independent has contacted the government for comment on the meat and fish export figures.
David Lammy says veterinary deal could be ‘floor not ceiling’
