The Spanish Federation of Food and Beverage Industries (FIAB), with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), held a reception on Monday at the Spanish Embassy in London. A meeting with more than 60 participating organizations focused on strengthening Spanish and British commercial relations, especially in the new commercial scenario after Brexit.
The Spanish Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, José Pascual Marco, chaired this event that brought together authorities from both countries and the European Commission, such as the EU Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Pedro Serrano de Haro; the director general of Food, Biosecurity and Trade of DEFRA of the Government of the United Kingdom (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), David Kennedy; the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain in the United Kingdom, Alicia Villauriz; and the director of Internationalization and Commercial Policy of FIAB, Verónica Puente.
The event was also attended by Spanish exporting companies in the sector and British buyers and importers such as Harrods, Wholefoods, Ocado or Selfridges. A perfect meeting point to strengthen new commercial ties and where these well-known distribution channels have been able to see first-hand the quality of Spanish food and beverage products.
Sales to the United Kingdom in 2022 totaled 2,400 million euros, placing the British market as the sixth economy in the export ranking for the Spanish food and beverage industry, the second non-EU only behind the United States. Although the country has tried to maintain its commercial dynamics, the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union has tarnished the export pace achieved before becoming a third country. According to the Priority Markets Report prepared by FIAB, 59% of the companies interviewed in said Report pointed to the impact of Brexit on commercial relations, derived from complications in customs management, obtaining certificates and associated costs, among others. aspects.
For this reason, the FIAB highlights the importance of the meeting at the Spanish Embassy in strengthening the economic and cultural connections between the two countries to continue promoting the growth trajectory that the United Kingdom maintained before Brexit. “This is a priority market and, therefore, it is essential that, once the logistical and administrative processes have been normalized, trade flows are reaffirmed to recover the export pulse,” said Mauricio García de Quevedo, general director of FIAB .
The event took place within the framework of the IFE celebration in London. The Embassy hosted a cocktail party with products from Spanish companies that these days exhibit their offer at the fair. A total of 16 food and beverage industries participate in the Spanish Grouped Pavilion of one of the most important fairs for the agri-food sector in the United Kingdom, aimed at the Large Distribution sector, but also at the Horeca channel and the gourmet segment. The international promotion activity has had the collaboration of MAPA and the regional promotion organization Extenda.