UK increased beef imports in January

This was in line with seasonal trends with a 17.8% month-on-month (MOM) decrease from the December total. Fresh and frozen boneless beef continued to account for the majority of beef imports, accounting for 86.7% of the total, in line with the 2022 average.

Meanwhile, compared to January 2022, imports increased by 6.7%. The main reason for this was the import of fresh beef from Ireland, as the volume of imports through the Irish Sea for the month amounted to 9,050 tons, up 27% year-on-year.

An increase in fresh beef supplies to the UK outweighed a 10.2% decline in frozen beef imports, which stood at just 6,300 tonnes in January (HMRC). Since the EU accounts for the majority of frozen beef imports, cuts in supplies from exporters such as France and Spain have contributed significantly to this. In particular, in the Netherlands, imports decreased by 71.2% year on year, amounting to only 164 tons in January. However, we saw frozen beef imports from Germany increase by 21.5% year on year to 1,250 tons. This continues the frozen beef supply trend seen throughout 2022.

Given the possibility of a 2% year-over-year decline in imports in 2023, the UK could see a decline in imports in the coming months.

Turning to beef exports, it is noted that the amount of beef exported from the UK decreased by 20.7% m / m, amounting to 8,100 tons in January. This was mainly driven by a 1,100 t (-93.4%) decline in exports to Hong Kong, as demand fell in part due to lower demand from the tourism sector. However, now that the market has reopened following the easing of covid restrictions, it will be interesting to see how UK beef exports change in the coming months. In other markets, although exports to France were down 500 tons (-22.4%) on the month, exports to France were up 66% year-on-year to 1,900 tons.

This, along with year-on-year increases in exports to Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany, outweighed decreases in exports to CANADA and Japan, to name but a few, contributing to a 13.7% year-on-year increase in fresh and frozen beef exports.

The year-on-year increase in total exports was driven by an increase in fresh beef exports (22.1%), as frozen beef fell 4.7% in January. In particular, fresh carcasses and bone-in beef showed significant increases of 66.4% and 49.3% year-over-year by 1,500 and 900 tons, respectively, in January, albeit from a small base.