Data published by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in Britain shows that Ireland supplied 13,434 tonnes (t) of the fresh and frozen beef imported in December 2025.
This is 59.9% of the total UK beef imports in the final month of 2025 and contrasts sharply with the share of the imported beef market Ireland had a year earlier in December 2024. Then, Irish beef accounted for 15,670t or 78.5% of the fresh and frozen beef imported.
Overall, the UK imported 22,407t of beef in December 2025 compared with December the previous year.
Figure 1 shows how the supply of UK beef imports changed in December 2025 compared with a year earlier. Overall UK beef imports were higher during the month at 22,407t compared with just under 20,000t in December 2024.
Year-on-year change
What is particularly striking is how the source of UK beef imports has broadened compared with a year earlier.
Ireland has traditionally dominated this space, regularly supplying 75% or more of all beef imported. The remainder was predominantly supplied by other EU countries, predominantly France, Netherlands and more recently Poland. That all changed in 2025.
In the latter months of 2025, New Zealand had become established as the second-largest supplier of UK beef imports.
In December, they accounted for 3,455t, more than a tenfold increase compared with December the previous year.
Australia was the next-most important supplier in December, accounting for 1,715t, almost a threefold increase compared with the same month in 2024.
It is notable that even though UK beef imports increased compared with the previous December, EU countries didn’t pick up any of the extra demand. Volumes from Poland fell by almost one third to 1,086t and neither Netherlands nor France made it into the top five suppliers at all.
Reasons for change in source of UK beef imports
There are two key reasons for the change in the sources of UK beef imports.
Ireland had less beef available for export, particularly in the latter part of the year due to a sharp fall in the cattle kill. Beef production was also down across the EU and UK with fewer cattle slaughtered as well.
That created an opportunity for external suppliers and New Zealand and Australia were best placed to avail of this.
In 2023, the UK trade deal with both countries came into effect and this gave them large tariff-free quotas for beef and sheepmeat.
By the latter part of 2025, both countries had become well established in the UK market with a competitively priced product at a time when domestic and Irish supplies were limited and more expensive.
As well as more Australian and New Zealand beef coming into the UK market, Brazil also gained market share in December, supplying 1,307t compared with just 331t a year earlier.
Brazil doesn’t yet have a trade agreement with the UK, but it does have access to the UK share of the Hilton beef quota, which has a reduced 20% tariff for eligible beef.
Comment: taste of what is to come
When the UK left the EU, it was free to make trade agreements with whoever it chose. Australia and New Zealand were the UK’s first major post-Brexit trade deals and both provide for generous tariff-free quotas for beef and lamb.
With tariff-free access and lower-cost cattle and sheep, both countries have a very attractive offer for UK beef and sheepmeat importers, despite the huge distance between the countries.
Both have been building market share in the UK since the trade agreements came into place in the middle of 2023, but it was in the latter part of last year when they began to have a real presence in the UK market.
This was assisted by lower domestic supply in the UK and less availability of beef from Ireland. Increased competition from Australian and New Zealand beef in the UK for Irish exports is here to stay.
Data published by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in Britain shows that Ireland supplied 13,434 tonnes (t) of the fresh and frozen beef imported in December 2025.
This is 59.9% of the total UK beef imports in the final month of 2025 and contrasts sharply with the share of the imported beef market Ireland had a year earlier in December 2024. Then, Irish beef accounted for 15,670t or 78.5% of the fresh and frozen beef imported.
Overall, the UK imported 22,407t of beef in December 2025 compared with December the previous year.
Figure 1 shows how the supply of UK beef imports changed in December 2025 compared with a year earlier. Overall UK beef imports were higher during the month at 22,407t compared with just under 20,000t in December 2024.
Year-on-year change
What is particularly striking is how the source of UK beef imports has broadened compared with a year earlier.
Ireland has traditionally dominated this space, regularly supplying 75% or more of all beef imported. The remainder was predominantly supplied by other EU countries, predominantly France, Netherlands and more recently Poland. That all changed in 2025.
In the latter months of 2025, New Zealand had become established as the second-largest supplier of UK beef imports.
In December, they accounted for 3,455t, more than a tenfold increase compared with December the previous year.
Australia was the next-most important supplier in December, accounting for 1,715t, almost a threefold increase compared with the same month in 2024.
It is notable that even though UK beef imports increased compared with the previous December, EU countries didn’t pick up any of the extra demand. Volumes from Poland fell by almost one third to 1,086t and neither Netherlands nor France made it into the top five suppliers at all.
Reasons for change in source of UK beef imports
There are two key reasons for the change in the sources of UK beef imports.
Ireland had less beef available for export, particularly in the latter part of the year due to a sharp fall in the cattle kill. Beef production was also down across the EU and UK with fewer cattle slaughtered as well.
That created an opportunity for external suppliers and New Zealand and Australia were best placed to avail of this.
In 2023, the UK trade deal with both countries came into effect and this gave them large tariff-free quotas for beef and sheepmeat.
By the latter part of 2025, both countries had become well established in the UK market with a competitively priced product at a time when domestic and Irish supplies were limited and more expensive.
As well as more Australian and New Zealand beef coming into the UK market, Brazil also gained market share in December, supplying 1,307t compared with just 331t a year earlier.
Brazil doesn’t yet have a trade agreement with the UK, but it does have access to the UK share of the Hilton beef quota, which has a reduced 20% tariff for eligible beef.
Comment: taste of what is to come
When the UK left the EU, it was free to make trade agreements with whoever it chose. Australia and New Zealand were the UK’s first major post-Brexit trade deals and both provide for generous tariff-free quotas for beef and lamb.
With tariff-free access and lower-cost cattle and sheep, both countries have a very attractive offer for UK beef and sheepmeat importers, despite the huge distance between the countries.
Both have been building market share in the UK since the trade agreements came into place in the middle of 2023, but it was in the latter part of last year when they began to have a real presence in the UK market.
This was assisted by lower domestic supply in the UK and less availability of beef from Ireland. Increased competition from Australian and New Zealand beef in the UK for Irish exports is here to stay.
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