Rise in beef exports to Japan shows trade opportunities
© Tim Scrivener UK beef exports to Japan were worth £5.4m in 2020 – a significant rise on the previous year, new figures show.
Last year, 1,581t of beef and offal was shipped to Japan, a rise on the 734t exported in 2019, according to HMRC data.
The figures come as farmers are being urged to capitalise on the opportunities offered by emerging markets beyond Europe.
See also: NFU Live: £2m campaign launched to give UK food exports a push
Last year was the UK’s first full year of exporting beef to Japan, after gaining market access early in 2019, following an absence from the market for more than two decades.
Significant growth
Jonathan Eckley, AHDB head of Asia Pacific, said the figures demonstrated the opportunities trade with Japan brings for farmers.
“Despite the challenges 2020 presented to UK exporters, it is encouraging to see significant growth in our beef exports to Japan. These impressive figures were from a standing start position, having only gained access to the new market in 2019,” Mr Eckley said.
The UK exported nearly £24bn worth of food and drink in 2019. Exports to non-EU nations grew that year by more than three times as much as exports to Europe.