UK exports slowed in June, amid steady imports

UK dairy exports remained positive in June, though momentum slowed compared to May. Export volumes increased by 2.53%, equivalent to 7.8 million kilo in LME, following May’s stronger growth of 15.25%.The slowdown was largely driven by declines in exports of whole milk powder, whey, lactose, cheese, butter, cream, and fermented products. By contrast, skimmed milk powder exports performed exceptionally well, rising by 59.41% or 8,170 tons. UK Exports June 2025 Product June '24 June '25 ∆ ∆% SMP 5.125 8.170 3.045 59,41% WMP 2.017 313 -1.704 -84,48% Whey 5.714 5.423 -291 -5,09% WPC80/WPI's 1.099 1.606 507 46,13% Lactose 829 617 -212 -25,57% FFMP 255 298 43 16,86% I/F 588 1.280 692 117,69% Cheese 16.910 15.669 -1.241 -7,34% Butter 2.511 2.072 -439 -17,48% AMF 2.050 2.212 162 7,90% Cream 3.776 4.216 440 11,65% Fermented 5.188 1.870 -3.318 -63,96% Condensed 3.281 3.797 516 15,73% Milk 56.125 58.636 2.511 4,47% Cumulatively, UK dairy exports for the first half of 2025 continued to show resilience. Year-to-date volumes were up 10.45%, reaching approximately 185 million kilo in LME. This reflects sustained international demand and a supportive trading environment for UK dairy products. UK Exports YTD June Product YTD June '24 YTD June '25 ∆ ∆% SMP 25.770 37.396 11.626 45,11% WMP 6.937 5.504 -1.433 -20,66% Whey 28.891 36.649 7.758 26,85% WPC80/WPI's 7.881 10.151 2.270 28,80% Lactose 5.062 6.183 1.121 22,15% FFMP 1.107 1.308 201 18,16% I/F 5.510 6.354 844 15,32% Cheese 101.304 100.647 -657 -0,65% Butter 14.645 13.646 -999 -6,82% AMF 7.313 10.485 3.172 43,37% Cream 20.142 23.133 2.991 14,85% Fermented 24.451 20.529 -3.922 -16,04% Condensed 22.452 26.590 4.138 18,43% Milk 420.618 413.840 -6.778 -1,61% On the import side, June registered a modest decline of 0.82%, equivalent to 3.2 million kilo in LME, compared with a 5.81% increase in May. Despite this month-on-month dip, growth was recorded in several key categories, including skimmed and whole milk powder, casein, lactose, butter, anhydrous milk fat, and fermented dairy products. Within the liquid dairy segment, most categories contracted, although fermented products stood out with a notable increase. UK Imports June 2025 Product June '24 June '25 ∆ ∆% SMP 1.298 1.673 375 28,89% WMP 1.382 2.860 1.478 106,95% Whey 5.888 5.176 -712 -12,09% WPC80/WPI's 1.413 1.342 -71 -5,02% Casein 315 379 64 20,32% Caseinates 109 37 -72 -66,06% MPC 167 144 -23 -13,77% Lactose 611 823 212 34,70% I/F 4.504 3.871 -633 -14,05% Cheese 40.480 39.824 -656 -1,62% Butter 3.731 4.264 533 14,29% AMF 503 677 174 34,59% Cream 2.565 1.516 -1.049 -40,90% Fermented 26.133 28.841 2.708 10,36% Condensed 4.558 4.239 -319 -7,00% Milk 29.838 20.950 -8.888 -29,79% Looking at the year-to-date picture, UK dairy imports remained firmly in growth territory, up 6.84% in June, corresponding to around 146 million kilo in LME. While this was a slight easing from May’s 8.50% expansion, the figures nevertheless signal robust domestic demand and steady import activity. UK Imports YTD June '25 Product June '24 June '25 ∆ ∆% SMP 5.888 7.456 1.568 26,63% WMP 7.023 8.724 1.701 24,22% Whey 32.556 35.698 3.142 9,65% WPC80/WPI's 9.289 8.574 -715 -7,70% Casein 2.073 2.974 901 43,46% Caseinates 426 277 -149 -34,98% MPC 1.030 93 -937 -90,97% Lactose 4.264 4.254 -10 -0,23% I/F 21.682 25.350 3.668 16,92% Cheese 220.313 231.906 11.593 5,26% Butter 22.574 24.290 1.716 7,60% AMF 1.648 4.017 2.369 143,75% Cream 13.457 12.074 -1.383 -10,28% Fermented 150.527 156.118 5.591 3,71% Condensed 26.123 26.575 452 1,73% Milk 115.517 118.166 2.649 2,29% A key development during this period was the sharp rise in imports from New Zealand, particularly in cheese and butter fats. This suggests an intensifying trade relationship, likely supported by competitive pricing or favourable trade agreements. Imports from NZ YTD June '24 YTD June '25 ∆% ∆ Cheese 5.560 8.170 46,94% 2.610 Butter/AMF 1.221 4.780 291,48% 3.559 Domestic milk production also strengthened. By June 2025, UK milk output had grown 4.88% year-to-date, representing an additional 386 million kilo compared with last year. This expansion reflects favourable production conditions across the sector. UK Milk Production 2024 2025 ∆% ∆ January 1.280.100.000 1.321.600.000 3,24% 41.500.000 February* 1.181.600.000 1.212.600.000 2,62% 31.000.000 March 1.361.600.000 1.413.700.000 3,83% 52.100.000 April 1.351.600.000 1.444.100.000 6,84% 92.500.000 May 1.421.700.000 1.504.300.000 5,81% 82.600.000 June 1.315.800.000 1.401.900.000 6,54% 86.100.000 YTD June 7.912.400.000 8.298.200.000 4,88% 385.800.000 Despite higher production, stock levels have also risen considerably. Total dairy stocks increased by 3.21% since the beginning of the year, reaching 266 million kilo in LME. The rise is primarily attributable to elevated milk output and strong import flows earlier in the year. Notably, 69% of the additional stocks originated from incremental domestic milk production.