Exports of food and drink from the UK to the EU collapsed 75.5 per cent in January according to figures from the Food and Drink Federation.
The figures showed whisky, cheese and chocolate makers suffered the most.
Ireland , which had been the Uk’s biggest market for exports was the worst hit trade route, accounting for just 5 per cent of UK exports, compared with around 19 per cent in January 2020.
The federation indicated that although some of the drop can be attributed to a partial re-balancing after high levels of stockpiling before the December 31 departure date, it emphasised that businesses were facing intractable problems.