The evolution of Spanish fresh fruit and vegetable exports to the United Kingdom between 2016 and 2025 shows a decline in export volume of 16.6%, falling from 1.55 million tonnes to 1.29 million. In contrast, export value increased by 29.5%, rising from 1.753 billion euros to 2.270 billion euros in 2025, according to data from the Department of Customs and Excise Duties, processed by FEPEX.
Comparing 2021—the first full year after the UK’s exit from the Single Market—with 2025, export volume fell by 14.4%, while value grew by 8.1%. This trend confirms that the UK remains the third-largest destination for Spanish fruit and vegetable exports, after Germany and the Netherlands, with 1.3 million tonnes and 2.270 billion euros in 2025.
This pattern points to a scenario of higher selling prices but also higher costs and increasing competitive pressure, meaning that the rise in export value cannot automatically be interpreted as an equivalent improvement in profitability.
Following Brexit, the UK introduced additional requirements to control imports of fruit, vegetables and other fresh products from the EU. These measures have been phased in and have resulted in greater administrative burdens and higher costs.
Since January 2021, most fresh fruit and vegetables have required a customs declaration (DUA) and a conformity certificate for marketing standards. Exporters have already adapted to these two requirements.
Another measure introduced in 2021 was the obligation for fruit and vegetable exports to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. However, this requirement has been repeatedly postponed due to the complexity of its implementation and the high cost associated with these controls.
The phytosanitary certificate requirement has not yet entered into force for fruit and vegetables (classified as medium- or low‑risk), and is currently scheduled for implementation in January 2027. For products considered high‑risk by UK authorities—such as flowers, plants and potatoes—the requirement has been in place for years.
In parallel, the European Commission and the United Kingdom are negotiating a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) protocol to avoid the application of these controls.
This new post‑Brexit trade framework has had a direct impact on the cost structure of the export sector. The introduction of certifications and customs procedures has increased export operating costs. Delays and administrative complexity have also raised logistics and management expenses.
The sector has had to absorb part of these additional costs without fully passing them on to final prices, in a market as competitive as the UK.
Alongside rising costs, the most significant shift after Brexit has been the growing presence of third‑country suppliers.
