UK dairy imports and exports expand further in July

UK dairy exports remained strong in July, rising by 11.72% to reach 33 million kilo in liquid milk equivalent (LME). While exports of whole milk powder (WMP), lactose, fat-filled milk powder (FFMP), and cheese declined, growth in other categories more than offset these losses, maintaining a positive overall balance. UK Dairy exports July 2025 Product July '24 July '25 ∆ ∆% SMP 7.645 4.912 2.733 55,64% WMP 802 1.982 -1.180 -59,54% Whey 4.875 4.067 808 19,87% WPC80/WPI's 1.783 1.577 206 13,06% Lactose 394 1.515 -1.121 -73,99% FFMP 171 196 -25 -12,76% I/F 1.367 970 397 40,93% Cheese 15.875 16.848 -973 -5,78% Butter 2.802 1.739 1.063 61,13% AMF 1.626 1.205 421 34,94% Cream 3.533 2.692 841 31,24% Fermented 4.428 3.991 437 10,95% Condensed 3.674 936 2.738 292,52% Milk 65.629 58.591 7.038 12,01% By the end of July, year-to-date exports were up 10.65%, totaling around 219 million kilo in LME. This steady expansion underscores both the favorable trading environment and sustained demand for UK dairy products across international markets. UK Dairy exports YTD July 2025 Product YTD July 2025 YTD July 2024 ∆ ∆% SMP 45.041 30.682 14.359 46,80% WMP 6.306 8.919 -2.613 -29,30% Whey 41.524 32.958 8.566 25,99% WPC80/WPI's 11.934 9.458 2.476 26,18% Lactose 6.577 6.577 0 0,00% FFMP 1.479 1.303 176 13,51% I/F 7.721 6.480 1.241 19,15% Cheese 116.562 118.152 -1.590 -1,35% Butter 16.457 16.384 73 0,45% AMF 12.111 8.518 3.593 42,18% Cream 26.666 22.834 3.832 16,78% Fermented 24.958 28.442 -3.484 -12,25% Condensed 30.264 23.388 6.876 29,40% Milk 479.677 479.209 468 0,10% Imports also gained momentum in July, increasing by 5.43% to 21 million kilo in LME, a clear improvement from the 0.82% decline recorded in June. The strongest negative movements were seen in skimmed milk powder (SMP), WMP, caseinates, lactose, and butter. Within the liquid dairy segment, imports of milk decreased, while imports of cream, fermented products, and condensed dairy products posted robust growth. UK Imports July 2025 Product July '24 July '25 ∆ ∆% SMP 893 991 -98 -9,89% WMP 792 1.695 -903 -53,27% Whey 6.360 5.009 1.351 26,97% WPC80/WPI's 1.182 1.109 73 6,58% Casein 413 327 86 26,30% Caseinates 18 45 -27 -60,00% MPC 281 190 91 47,89% Lactose 590 723 -133 -18,40% I/F 4.456 3.982 474 11,90% Cheese 42.624 49.233 -6.609 -13,42% Butter 3.013 3.722 -709 -19,05% AMF 595 305 290 95,08% Cream 4.148 3.134 1.014 32,35% Fermented 30.035 25.117 4.918 19,58% Condensed 5.994 4.607 1.387 30,11% Milk 23.015 28.357 -5.342 -18,84% Year-to-date imports as of July remained firmly positive, rising by 10.73% to approximately 260 million kilo in LME. This represents an acceleration from June’s year-to-date growth of 6.84% (146 million kilo in LME). The figures highlight strong import activity and ongoing domestic demand for dairy products. UK Imports YTD July 2025 Product YTD July '25 YTD July '24 ∆ ∆% SMP 8.349 6.879 1.470 21,37% WMP 9.516 8.718 798 9,15% Whey 42.058 37.565 4.493 11,96% WPC80/WPI's 9.756 10.398 -642 -6,17% Casein 2.387 2.400 -13 -0,54% Caseinates 295 471 -176 -37,37% MPC 1.213 1.197 16 1,34% Lactose 4.844 4.987 -143 -2,87% I/F 29.806 25.664 4.142 16,14% Cheese 274.530 240.546 33.984 14,13% Butter 27.303 26.296 1.007 3,83% AMF 4.612 1.953 2.659 136,15% Cream 16.222 16.591 -369 -2,22% Fermented 186.153 175.644 10.509 5,98% Condensed 32.569 30.730 1.839 5,98% Milk 141.181 143.874 -2.693 -1,87% Notably, one of the most significant developments during this period was the sharp increase in imports of butter fats from New Zealand. This surge points to a strengthening trade relationship between the two countries, likely influenced by competitive pricing or favorable trade agreements. Imports from New Zealand Product YTD July '24 YTD July '25 Δ% Δ Butter/AMF 1.222 5.116 381,07% 3.894 Turning to production, UK milk output rose by 4.52% year-to-date in August, adding an estimated 474 million kilo compared with the same period last year. This expansion reflects broadly favorable production conditions. However, despite rising output, UK dairy stock levels have also grown markedly. Total inventories increased by 3.88% since the beginning of the year, reaching 425 million kilo in LME. The accumulation of stocks has been driven by the combined effect of higher milk production and stronger import volumes, with 89% of the increase attributed to incremental milk output. UK Milk Production Month 2024 2025 Δ% Δ January 1.280.100.000 1.321.600.000 3,24% 41.500.000 February 1.223.800.000 1.212.600.000 -0,92% -11.200.000 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 1.421.800.000 1.504.300.000 5,80% 82.500.000 June 1.316.000.000 1.399.100.000 6,31% 83.100.000 July 1.285.900.000 1.348.500.000 4,87% 62.600.000 August 1.230.400.000 1.301.100.000 5,75% 70.700.000 YTD August 10.471.200.000 10.945.000.000 4,52% 473.800.000