British food exports to China leapt by 82 per cent last year driven by a near-doubling of sales of pork and salmon, making the country the UK’s second most important market for food outside the EU.
The Food and Drink Federation, the industry body, said the value of British food and soft drinks exports to China had risen by £92m to £201m in 2013, compared with the previous year, underscoring the British government’s export drive aimed at reducing the UK’s trade deficit. The rise was spurred by the 2011 decision of the Chinese food safety agency to allow the import of salmon and pork from the UK for the first time. Exports of pork rose by 92 per cent and of Scottish salmon by 90 per cent. “There is a strong demand for pork in China and consumers like parts of the animal that we don’t consume, such as whole pig head and trotters,” said Terry Jones, head of communications at the FDF.
He said salmon exports had been fuelled by a growing Chinese middle class who have an appetite for the fish.