UK dairy trade balance

Updated 14 November 2024

How do UK imports and exports compare for key dairy products? This information shows the net trade position for dairy products in both value and volume terms on an annual basis.  

• The UK continued to an overall trade surplus in dairy products (total dairy* tonnage) in 2023, following a surplus in 2022.
• The trade surplus was 77k tonnes, with total ‘net exports’ up by 26k tonnes compared to 32k tonnes higher recorded in the previous year.
• The largest improvement in trade was seen in yoghurt where trade deficit was reduced. For yoghurt, imports and exports both recorded lower volumes year-on-year. For cheese, imports and export volumes both grew on the year, but imports increased relatively more, increasing the overall deficit.
• Cream returned into a slight trade surplus, up 9k tonnes year-on-year.
• The milk powders surplus increased after three consecutive years of decline, driven by higher exports of both SMP and WMP compared to last year.
• Both butter and concentrated milk have a trade deficit, which is almost at par with last year for butter and slightly lower for concentrated milk.
• In value terms, the overall trade deficit increased in 2023, reaching £1.34bn for all dairy products. This compares to a deficit of £1.13bn in 2022. Declining value of exports and increasing value of imports added to the overall increase in deficit.
• Cheese was the key contributor to movement in the value trade deficit, as the category trade deficit grew by £152mn year-on-year.

*HS codes 0401-0406. Includes shipments of unprocessed milk/raw milk crossing the border for processing.

The trade balance is calculated as exports minus imports.

Total dairy (All dairy) here refers to HS codes 0401-0406 which includes shipments of unprocessed milk/raw milk crossing the border for processing.  

The liquid milk category includes shipments of unprocessed milk/raw milk crossing the border for processing.  

Butter here refers to the total 0405 category which includes other fats and oil derived from milk. 

For descriptions of the product categories please see the notes section of the downloadable spreadsheet.

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