Beef exports to the United Kingdom have shown much-needed momentum three years after the signing of the UK-Australian Free Trade Agreement.
Beef export volumes moved at a very slow pace in the first two years after the FTA was signed in May 2023.
Australian beef exports reached 2,700 tonnes, which marks the largest monthly volume recorded in recent times. The figure is a 300% increase compared to April 2025. Total volumes for the calendar year ending April were 7,300 tonnes compared with 2,800 tonnes in the same period last year.
The growth is attributed to a prolonged decline in UK domestic beef production over the last 20 years. Data from the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs reveals that the beef breeding herd has reduced from 1.75 million to 1.25 million between 2005 and 2025.
Overall, the UK is grappling to maintain self-sufficiency in red meat production and is now looking to Australia to meet the deficit. As Australian red meat volumes increase, the product mix has diversified, with grainfed beef posting a 95% increase.
The Australian red meat industry is hopeful that the rising export volumes to the UK will compensate for dwindling volumes after Australia reaches the Chinese quota later in the year.