New Zealand beef exports to Britain more than trebled in volume and value terms in the 11 months to the end of November 2025, compared with the same period in 2024.

Last year’s figures also show a massive increase in Australian and Brazilian beef exports to Britain.

Worryingly, the data confirms a significant fall-off in Irish and EU beef sales into the UK market.

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The overall volume of beef imported from New Zealand in the first 11 months of 2025 totalled 13,062 tonnes (t), UK customs' records show. This compares with 3,862t for the same period in 2024.

The value of New Zealand beef exports increased from €24.25m for the 11-month period in 2024 to €81.28m for 2025.

The figures compiled and published in a dashboard by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in Britain confirm that New Zealand is now the second-largest non-EU supplier of beef to the UK.

Only Ireland, Poland and Australia supply more beef than New Zealand into the British market.

Close to 9,000t or 70% of New Zealand’s beef exports to Britain are frozen, with around 4,000t or 30% fresh product. There were also small quantities of processed beef and offal.

The increased volumes of New Zealand beef exports were mirrored by Australian shipments, which more than doubled. These totalled over 13,000t for the first 11 months in 2025, up from 4,900t in 2024.

Growing pressure

Brazilian beef exports to Britain also doubled during 2025, the AHDB dashboard shows. The figures to the end of November show that exports from the South American state topped 10,500t, up from 4,600t for the same period in 2024.

The AHDB dashboard highlighted the growing pressure on Ireland to retain its dominant position in the massive British beef market, where imports totalled around 220,000t for the 11-month period in both 2024 and 2025.

While Ireland supplied 76% of British beef imports for the first 11 months of 2024, this share fell to 68% for the same period in 2025. The EU share of British beef imports fell from 91% for the first 11 months of 2024 to 75% in 2025.

Irish beef exports to Britain for the period from January to the end of November 2025 totalled 148,000t, back from 169,600t in 2024. The figures for the EU as a whole fell from 201,000t in 2025 to 175,000t in 2024.

New Zealand beef imports to the UK are facilitated by a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries that came into effect in May 2023. It allows zero-tariff access for close to 18,000t of beef last year. This total will eventually increase to almost 30,000t.

Australia signed a similar agreement with the UK.

Irish firm Dawn Meats is in line to become a major exporter of New Zealand beef and lamb to Britain following its purchase last year of a controlling stake in the Alliance Group, which is a major meat processor in the country.