EU trade data for first nine months of 2022 shows a 31% jump in beef imports to 256,000t compared with the same period last year.

There has been a dramatic recovery in trade with the UK following the Brexit disruption of last year, with volumes up 68% between January and September to 90,378t.

Brazil is the next largest supplier to the EU with 57,920t, a 10% increase followed by Argentina on 41,605t, a 32% increase while Uruguay dropped 4% to 28,502t.

Imports from the US continue to grow with its increased share from the tariff free quota, reaching 12,445t for the first nine months, a 37% increase on the same period last year.

As with beef, the UK has recovered its supplies to the EU sending 109,000t between January and August, a 22% increase on the same period last year.

Meanwhile EU sheep meat imports from New Zealand increased for the first time in several years in the first nine months of 2022. New Zealand, because of its tariff free status for sheep meat, is responsible for most of the rest of EU sheep meat imports.

It supplied 52,095t, a 24% increase in the same period last year. Australia supplied 4,725t, a small increase on the previous year, but is restricted compared with New Zealand because it doesn’t have a substantial tariff free quota.

UK sheep meat imports from New Zealand increased by 11% up to September 2022 and its imports from the EU increased by 5.6% most of which were from Ireland.