Brexit reset deal: Implications for UK-EU food and drink trade

On 19 May 2025, a 'Brexit reset' deal was announced between the UK and EU.

One aspect of this new deal is a veterinary agreement (also known as an SPS agreement) which will allow for alignment of the UK and EU’s rules, regulations, and standards relating to animal and plant health, and public health.

It is anticipated that this will remove barriers to trade in food and drink between the UK and the EU.

In 2024, UK food and drink exports to the EU were worth £24 billion, according to the Food and Drink Federation. Following this new agreement, it is estimated that UK agrifood exports to the EU could be boosted by more than 20%.

What has been agreed?

The UK has agreed to reduced checks on food exports to the EU, as well as dropping some border checks on animals and plant exports. New rules in this space would also help trade with Northern Ireland by reducing checks on food and animals crossing the Irish Sea which are currently in place.

Anticipated benefits

The practical effect of this is hoped to be that, with goods allowed to flow more freely between the UK and EU, food prices may decrease and the variety of goods and products on supermarket shelves will increase.

Supporters of the agreement say that a reduction in red tape will make it easier for businesses to import and export food and drink and remove other burdens on businesses in the food industry, such as lengthy queues at the border which often resulted in fresh produce going bad before it could be imported and sold. 

Also, this agreement as it stands has no time limit, which provides further security and certainty for businesses in this sector.

Another interesting aspect of the deal is that raw burgers and sausages can now be sold back to the EU for the first time since Brexit.

Other opportunities

The government has also pledged investment of £360 million into the fishing industry to capitalise on new opportunities – those operating in the seafood space will no doubt welcome this investment given current figures show that around 70% of UK seafood is sold within the EU.

Ongoing updates

We will keep a close eye on the updates to this reset and keep you posted in our Autumn update.