UK dairy exports recorded a mixed performance in H1 2026, with total export volume declining 11% to 613,500 tonnes and export value falling 12% to £973 million. The decline was mainly driven by lower exports of milk and cream and whey, although cheese and milk powders reached all-time-high export volumes, signalling a notable shift in the UK dairy trade mix. (AHDB)
Milk powder exports recorded the largest half-yearly volume increase, rising by 23,000 tonnes or 33.1% to 92,500 tonnes, an all-time high. Most volumes went to EU markets including Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, while exports also increased to Libya, Bangladesh and Egypt. (AHDB)
Cheese and curd exports also reached an all-time high, rising to around 116,000 tonnes, up 15.4%. Growth was recorded in both EU markets such as Belgium, France and the Netherlands, and non-EU destinations including Libya, Bahrain, China and Saudi Arabia. Butter exports increased by 2,700 tonnes (11%), while yoghurt exports rose by 2,600 tonnes (12.4%). (AHDB)
However, these gains were outweighed by a sharp 114,000-tonne decline in milk and cream exports, alongside a 5,000-tonne reduction in whey exports. Exports to the EU, which account for 86% of total UK dairy exports, fell by 86,000 tonnes (14%), with Ireland accounting for a major part of the decline. (AHDB)
Dairy export value also weakened after two years of growth, partly because of falling commodity prices. Export value declined across all major categories except powders and yoghurt, with milk and cream down 38.6%, butter down 27.3%, cheese and curd down 4.6%, and whey down 8.5%; cheese and curd nevertheless remained the highest-value export category at £461 million, followed by milk and cream at £157 million and milk powders at £147 million. (AHDB)
UK dairy imports were broadly stable, falling marginally by 0.15% to 636,000 tonnes, while import value declined 0.9% to £1.8 billion. Milk and cream imports fell 17,300 tonnes (13.3%), whey declined 4,700 tonnes (11%), and butter fell by 4,000 tonnes (12.1%), with most of the decline coming from EU suppliers. (AHDB)
Imports from New Zealand also declined by 1,100 tonnes (8.5%) in H1 2026 after two years of growth, as its products became less competitive; New Zealand imports mainly comprised cheese, butter and milk powders. Overall, the H1 trade figures point to a changing UK dairy export landscape in which higher-value and storable products such as cheese and milk powders are gaining ground even as overall dairy export volumes decline. (AHDB)
Source: Dairynews7x7 05 Sep, 2026 Read full story here
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