Latest news with #foodexports
Arabian Business
6 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Business
Irish food and drink exports to Middle East and Africa hit $624m in 2024
Ireland's food and drink exports to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region reached €546.9 million ($624m) in 2024, underlining the region's growing importance for the country's agri-food sector, according to Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board. The milestone was announced alongside findings from Bord Bia's second annual CEO Pulse Survey, which reflects the perspectives of Irish food and drink companies responsible for nearly €11bn ($12.5bn) in global exports—two-thirds of the nation's total export value. The survey revealed that 56 per cent of Irish food and drink exporters anticipate growth in the MENA region in 2025, despite ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges. Irish food exports to Middle East Exporters cited robust consumer demand, rising interest in sustainably sourced products, and deepening trade relationships as key drivers of optimism. Kieran Fitzgerald, Regional Director for the Middle East and Africa at Bord Bia, said: 'Irish food and drink companies continue to see the Middle East and Africa as high-potential markets. 'The scale of export performance in 2024, paired with strong sentiment from exporters, highlights Ireland's growing reputation as a provider of trusted, high-quality food and drink solutions for the region.' A major contributor to this growth is Ornua, Ireland's largest dairy exporter, which continues to expand its presence in the region. David Butler, Managing Director, Ornua Ingredients International, said: 'The Middle East continues to represent a key growth market for Ornua, with rising demand for high-quality, innovative dairy solutions across the region. 'Our investment in Saudi Arabia underlines our long-term commitment to the region, enabling us to strengthen local partnerships, respond more quickly to customer needs, and deliver market-specific solutions. 'With its strategic location and strong trade ties, Saudi provides an ideal base from which to support our customers and expand our presence across the wider MENA market.'
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'My exports halved after Brexit - I'm happy with new EU deal'
A Devon food producer has said the new UK-EU deal will reduce paperwork and the risks associated with exporting goods to the continent. It comes after the UK and the EU reached a new agreement setting out post-Brexit relations on areas including fishing rights, trade and Abbot's Westaway Sausages boss, Charles Baughan, said his export business halved after Brexit, with a typical consignment requiring 14 pages of paperwork and 49 signatures. He said: "Everything's easier because it's not just easier for me, if you can think about the person in Malta who's importing it, who has a truck held up in Calais, that's a nightmare." "He's paying for the driver and so on and so forth, and really, it's going to be hugely helpful for them as well," he added. The new rules on exports The new deal has meant EU boats will have continued access to UK waters until 2038. In return for extending current fishing rules, the UK has secured a deal to reduce checks on food exports to the will also see the vast majority of routine border checks on animal and plant shipments to and from the EU producers, like Mr Baughan, will be able to sell raw burgers and sausages back into the EU for the first time since Brexit - which is thanks to the new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) the deal, the UK will be expected to follow EU rules, which are overseen by the European Court of Justice. The UK maintains the right to break away if it keeps similar standards and avoids harming EU food exports to the EU have fallen, – with volumes in 2024 down 34% compared with 2019 – and the industry blames this partly on the added red the deal comes with conditions. The UK will need to follow future EU food standards – and accept that the European Court of Justice will have the final say in any disputes in this UK will be also required to make a financial contribution. However is it currently unknown how much the payment would be and when it would be required.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
UK-EU agreement: Who are the winners and losers?
A deal to "reset" relations between the UK and the EU following Brexit has been agreed at a summit in agreement covers a range of issues, including defence, fishing, the trade in food products and the ability of young people to move freely between the UK and the Verify has gone through the deal, picking out the potential winners and losers. Food Winner: UK food exporters to the EU who could see fewer checks Loser: People who don't want the UK to follow EU rules, as there are strings attachedSince Brexit, UK goods travelling to the EU – including food products – have faced new checks and extra items, such as UK exports of raw burgers and sausages, have been banned from entering the EU because they do not meet its strict import rules. UK food exports to the EU have fallen – with volumes in 2024 down 34% compared with 2019 – and the industry blames this partly on the added red tape. Now, both sides have agreed to work on a joint food safety agreement that could remove many of the current signed and fully implemented, it would reduce paperwork, ease checks, and could even lift bans on products like raw and drink exports to the EU in 2023 were worth £14bn, accounting for 57% of all the sector's overseas the deal comes with conditions. The UK will need to follow future EU food standards – a system known as "dynamic alignment" – and accept that the European Court of Justice will have the final say in any disputes in this UK will be also required to make a financial contribution. However is it currently unknown how much the payment would be and when it would be required. Fishing Winner: The EU - fishing vessels get 12 more years of access to UK watersLoser: UK fishermen who wanted annual negotiations on fishing access Although fishing accounts for a very small part of the UK economy - just 0.04% of GDP in 2024 - it is politically sensitive. The "reset" document notes "political agreements leading to full reciprocal access to waters to fish until 30 June 2038" - a 12-year extension to the current deal negotiated by Boris Johnson's Conservative government - and much longer than the existing agreement (due to expire in 2026), EU vessels get access to UK waters to fish - in return for transferring 25% of their fishing quota - the amount they are allowed to catch - to UK fleets. Some UK fishing groups have criticised the existing deal and do not want to see it Macdonald, who represents 450 fishing boats as chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation says: "This deal is a horror show for Scottish fishermen, far worse than Boris Johnson's botched Brexit agreement."She says the long-term deal takes away the industry's bargaining power in future talks and would prefer annual negotiations with the Minister Sir Keir Starmer says there will be "no increase in the amount that the EU vessels can catch in British waters" and says it will now be easier for UK fishermen to export their 2023, the UK exported £1.2bn of fish to the EU, around 70% of all fish Scott from Salmon Scotland, which represents salmon farming in Scotland, says the agreement to reduce checks would "speed up the delivery of our premium salmon to market". Youth mobility Winner: Young people in the UK and EU who should - if this is confirmed - be able to work and study more freely between the twoLoser: Those who oppose an increase in net migration to the UK will point out that any mobility scheme could affect immigration figures, although this effect may be temporaryThe details here are still to be confirmed, but the winners would be those young people from both the UK and EU who would be able to work and study more easily across Europe and Great Britain. Other youth mobility schemes have focused on people aged 18 to the impact of what is being called a "youth experience scheme" could be Brexit more young people from the EU came to the UK than went the other remember, Sir Keir has pledged to "significantly" reduce immigration levels in the coming years. So there's a big question mark on what impact a UK-EU scheme could have on UK immigration Sumption from Oxford University's Migration Observatory told BBC Verify that a scheme would likely increase net migration in the short term, as new participants she adds that if everyone left the UK when their visa expired, the long-term impact on migration levels would be minimal."If the UK is worried about the impact, it could phase in the scheme, where it gradually increases the quota. So as people leave, the quota could be raised rather than a big bang all come at once," she said. eGates Winner: British tourists may be able to use eGates at EU airports but we do not know which ones and from whenLoser: Those expecting to escape long queues this summerAs part of the agreement, UK nationals will be able to use eGates at EU airports, rather than having their passport manually checked by a border government claims: "British holidaymakers will be able to use more eGates in Europe, ending the dreaded queues at border control."However the text of the EU-UK agreement is less clear, only referring to the "potential use of eGates where appropriate". It is unlikely any change will be implemented by the summer, travel organisation Abta told BBC believes the deal clarifies that the EU countries can offer eGates to UK nationals once a new Entry/Exit System (EES) comes into effect in is an automated IT system for registering all non-EU travellers for a short stay, each time they cross the EU's external UK passengers will avoid a border guard altogether will depend on the technology at each border crossing, Abta says. Defence Winner: UK defence firms may get contracts from new EU rearmament fundLoser: EU defence firms which hoped to get more of these revenuesThe EU has established a Security Action for Europe fund (SAFE) with €150bn (£126bn) of loans, backed by the EU budget, to enable its member states to rearm. This was going to be spent on EU-based defence firms. The fund also allows for the involvement of a number of non-EU countries and could now be opened up to UK defence companies too. This would potentially allow EU firms to use the fund to buy kit from the UK has a large defence manufacturing industry relative to many EU states and this sector directly employs about164,00 people in the 2020 and 2024, the UK was estimated by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute to have accounted for around 3.6% of total global annual arms exports, making the UK the seventh largest national the detail is still being worked out here and we do not know when and exactly how the UK will participate in the fund. What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?
Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Times
UK-EU summit live: Keir Starmer secures post-Brexit deal
Today's deal will ease checks on British produce being sold in Europe. It's good news for food exporters, says Jonathan Reynolds. 'We've got a situation where, after Brexit, we've got the same food standards in place on both sides of the border, yet our agricultural food exports are down by a fifth,' the business and trade secretary told the BBC. 'You can't sell some products at all — I mean, a British sausage made in my constituency. You can't sell those. Can't sell burgers. 'We've got no real reason for that situation continuing, and, where we can work with our partners, where we can remove costs, where we can remove friction, that means cheaper bills in the long run.' Britain has agreed to negotiate a youth mobility deal with the EU, but Brussels has not yet accepted a hard cap on numbers. One text wrapped into the deal is understood to say that a scheme giving time-limited rights will be 'controlled' after a fudge between Britain's insistence on an annual limit and EU demands for a more open-ended scheme. Labour is already being attacked for opening the door to more people arriving from the EU only a week after promising to cut immigration. But Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, insisted that 'a capped scheme focused on young people, time limited' was 'totally different' to freedom of movement and did not bring rights to access welfare. Confused? This is what a youth mobility scheme means Nick Thomas-Symonds, Britain's chief negotiator in these talks, has confirmed that a deal has been reached. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, has defended Britain's decision to give European fishing boats long-term access to UK waters, arguing British fishermen will benefit from being to sell their catch to the EU more easily. 'It's not just about what you catch in the UK, it's who you're going to sell it to and actually, for agricultural, fish and shellfish products, 70 per cent of our exports are to the EU,' he told the BBC. 'That market access is fundamental to the prosperity of that industry, so it's not a trade-off in that regard. It's about delivering something that works for that sector.' By Chris Smyth, Whitehall Editor Sir Keir Starmer will get his moment of triumph today, but only after the EU used his evident desperation to force a big concession on fish. While the language today will be of friendship and a reset alliance after the acrimony of the Brexit years, the EU decision to play hardball last night shows that hard-nosed interests still prevail. The outline of a deal was clear before the weekend; Nick Thomas-Symonds, Starmer's chief negotiator, took to the airwaves to sell it even while talks were continuing. That gave Brussels a clear opportunity to come back and ask for more: EU negotiators made clear they were willing to torpedo Starmer's big moment unless Britain conceded long-term access to fisheries. While the British side pushed back against a permanent link between access for UK food exports and fish, they had to give some ground, and granted the EU a 12-year extension on current catch quotas. Starmer will hope all this is forgotten if Britain becomes more prosperous and secure, arguing that most voters just want to move on from Brexit. But last night's wobble was a reminder that a 'reset' in relations does not mean Brussels is willing to do Britain any favours. Without confirming that the deal is done, the business secretary said it would be a 'real prize' for Britain. Jonathan Reynolds told Times Radio earlier that the country's arrangement with the EU since Brexit has had 'huge gaps in it, not just on areas to do with trade, but to do with security as well. 'So this is about making people better off, about making the country more secure, about making sure there are more jobs in the UK.' We're about to see its full scope, but many elements have already been agreed. Everything we know so far is here, but here's a brief summary: ● On defence, both sides agree to closer alignment on defence in a pact under which British troops could fight alongside European armies. ● Britain will agree to align with EU food safety and animal welfare standards in return for Brussels easing checks on British produce sold in Europe. ● On energy, both parties will merge their emissions trading schemes while promises of electricity market liberalisation will allow more interconnectors to be built between the UK and Europe. Britain has agreed to give the EU access to British fisheries until 2038 in a last-minute concession to get a deal over the line. EU ambassadors are understood to be agreeing a deal after using Sir Keir Starmer's desire to announce agreement today to force further movement. British negotiators believe they have succeeded in persuading the EU to drop a formal link between fisheries access and a deal to ease British food exports, something which would have handed Brussels a powerful tool in future talks. But in return they have granted access to British waters for another 12 years after the current deal expires next year, far longer than the four years previously on the table. Talks ran into the early hours because Brussels was demanding to tie the deal's food export arrangements to long-term access to British fisheries. Britain has been prepared to extend existing fishing quotas, currently 75 per cent of pre-Brexit levels, for another four years. The EU was stipulating that any future attempt to renegotiate quotas would allow it to reopen the food standards deal, meaning it could threaten to reimpose border checks. A deal resetting relations between Britain and the European Union is expected to be signed in London today after negotiations that ran into the early hours. It will be signed by Sir Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, at the first UK-EU summit since Brexit.
Zawya
15-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt's food exports surge 21% in 2024
Egypt's Food Export Council reported that food industry exports reached approximately $6.1bn in 2024, marking a 21% increase from 2023. The council said that frozen vegetables and fruits contributed $960m, representing 16% of the sector's total exports. The council participated in a meeting organized by the Frozen and Processed Fruits and Vegetables Division of the Chamber of Food Industries on Wednesday at the Federation of Egyptian Industries headquarters. The meeting was held as part of efforts to enhance the competitiveness of exports in this vital sector and to address key challenges facing it. Frozen strawberries topped the sector's exports, generating $383m and accounting for 40% of total frozen vegetable and fruit exports. They were followed by frozen vegetables at $262m and frozen potatoes at $225m. The council noted that 739 companies are active in exporting from this sector, with 116 companies surpassing $1m in exports and 25 companies exceeding $10m. The presentation also covered the key global import markets, with the top 15 destinations accounting for around 75% of the sector's total exports. It further addressed the main challenges facing exporters, including high transportation costs, strict quality requirements, and the need to better leverage international trade agreements. The council added that Saudi Arabia was the largest importer of processed food from Egypt in 2024, accounting for 8% of the sector's total exports with a value of approximately $491m, compared to $400m in 2023 — a growth rate of 23%. It also noted an increase in the number of Egyptian food industry exporters to the Saudi market, reaching 538 companies, 73 of which exceeded $1m in exports, collectively accounting for $429m— representing 87% of total exports to the Kingdom. This meeting is part of the Council's ongoing efforts to enhance the performance of food industry exports and provide technical and informational support to exporters, aiming to boost the competitiveness of Egyptian products in global markets.
