January 26, 2023

November UK pork imports up 3.8% month-on-month

Pork imports into the UK totalled 70,200 tonnes in November 2022, 2,600 tonnes or 3.8% higher compared to October 2022 and 922 tonnes or 1.3% higher year-on-year, the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board reported.

Imports from UK was the highest in November 2022 at 17,200 tonnes, up 14.8% or 2,200 tonnes from the previous month. Overall, shipments from the EU increased. The volume of goods shipped from Poland to the UK decreased the most, by 1,000 tonnes or 17% month-on-month.

27,900 tonnes of fresh or frozen pork were imported in November 2022, the same amount as the previous month, but volumes were down 12.2% from the same month a year earlier. Imports of bacon and sausage have been increasing both month-on-month and year-on-year. Volume-wise, sausages increased by 3,900 tonnes, 39% more than the previous year, while bacon increased by 938 tonnes or 5.5% more.

37,900 tonnes of pork have been imported between January to November 2022, up 74,400 tonnes or 11.2% from the same period in 2021. All types of pork imports increased, but bacon and sausages saw the biggest increases, up 22.2% and 24.5%, respectively.

Pork exports from the UK reached 28,800 tonnes in November 2022, an increase of 1.2% or 353 tonnes over October but a decline of 8.3% or 2,600 tonnes over November 2021. 13,000 tonnes, or 45.2% of exports, came from the EU, slightly more than in October and maintaining the annual average.

The majority of the pork exported from the EU was sent to France, where 2,300 tonnes of it was shipped as fresh or frozen pork at 1,555 tonnes total. 11,100 tonnes of pork were exported to China from outside the EU-27 in November, making up 38.4% of all trade. In order to maintain carcase balance, more than 7,000 tonnes of offal were exported to China, demonstrating the significance of trade relations with both the EU and China.

341,400 tonnes of pork have been exported so far between January to November 2022, up 7.1% or 22,500 tonnes from the same period in 2021. Volumes have increased year over year in all categories with the exception of fresh and frozen.

The biggest increase was in bacon, which increased by 6,207 tonnes or 68.8% from the same time period in 2021 to reach pre-pandemic levels. The second-largest increase was in processed pig meat, which increased by 2,400 tonnes or 20.2% year-on-year. With 174,400 tonnes exported so far this year, representing 51.1% of all exported pork, fresh/frozen pork saw a slight decline year over year, falling 0.8% or 1,400 tonnes.

-      UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board