The export value of U.K. salmon increased by more than 42 percent or GBP 172.7 million (USD 230.1 million, EUR 195.4 million) to GBP 578.5 million (USD 770.8 million, EUR 654.7 million) in the first three-quarters of this year, confirmed industry figures issued by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).
Whisky remained the nation’s top export, achieving a value close to GBP 3.2 billion (USD 4.3 billion, EUR 3.6 billion), but second-placed salmon achieved a much higher rate of growth in both value and volume, with the latter up 21.2 percent year-on-year. Third-placed chocolate, meanwhile, achieved an export value of GBP 501.9 million (USD 668.7 million, EUR 568 million) over the nine-month period, which was 6.6 percent more than in the corresponding period of 2016, but the volume sold overseas was down almost 3 percent.
A recent survey by FDF identified China as one of the top three markets that U.K. food and drink companies would like to target. It was also one of the highest growth markets from January through September 2017, rising by 38 percent to GBP 420 million (USD 559.6 million, EUR 475.3 million). This growth included a 51 percent increase in U.K. salmon going to the Chinese market.
Overall, U.K. food and drink exports for the first three-quarters of this year increased by 11 percent year-on-year to GBP 16.1 billion (USD 21.5 million, EUR 18.2 million).
