Merry Brexmas! UK exports at record high as world clamours for British food, whisky and TV
BRITAIN’S Christmas food and drinks exports are booming thanks to Brexit with global demand for UK goods at an all-time high.
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There has been a spike in sales of festive items as more than £10billion of yuletide food and drink was exported last year – up nine per cent on 2015, latest figures from HMRC show.
In the past 12 months more than £4billion worth of whisky, £32million of turkey and almost £500million of cheese was exported around the world in a sign of Britain’s bright post-Brexit future as a free trade nation.
Adding to the global festive feast, the UK has exported £313,000 worth of Brussels sprouts, £4.2million of fresh cranberries and almost £110million of mince pies, fruit cake and Christmas Stollen, up 19.8 per cent on 2015.
Britain’s TV exports are also booming with international sales of programmes like Sherlock, Doctor Who and Top Gear increasing by 10 per cent to £1.3billion last year.
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Doctor Who alone has racked up sales to 239 territories in its lifetime, holding the Guinness World Record for the longest running sci-fi series.
UK films have also provided Christmas cheer with British directors behind 32 of the 200 highest-earning movies of the past 15 years and Harry Potter director David Yates topping the Box Office league.
Films produced in the UK accounted for one sixth of global box office revenue in 2016 and this year’s top title, Beauty And The Beast, earned gross receipts of more than £1billion.
Minister for trade and export promotion Rona Fairhead said: “This Christmas families across the world will enjoy British-made food, drink and entertainment.
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“This is a terrific time for our dynamic and innovative exporters to show the world what we offer.”
International fish sales have also boomed since Britain voted to leave the EU on June 23 last year.
The UK exported £580million worth of salmon in 2016, making it the UK’s second largest food export after chocolate.
London-based smokehouse H Forman & Son sells smoked Scottish salmon all over the world and has seen growing demand in new markets.
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Managing director Lance Forman said: “As well as growing business in our traditional export markets, primarily in the USA, we are exporting to new markets this year including China, India, Hungary, Hawaii, Malta, South Africa and Kuwait.
“We would urge other businesses to think about exporting as we’ve found there to be great potential for expansion.”
The figures come after Office for National Statistics data showed exports rising faster than imports with the trade deficit narrowed by £14.5billion since the referendum result.
Overall, UK exports of goods and services have increased by 14.5 per cent to £613billion.
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said more than a year since the EU referendum, it was “clear evidence that UK companies are succeeding on the world stage and as an international economic department we are banging the drum for the growing demand for our goods and services”.
