Facts

Johnson claimed that the food and drink “export market is growing all the time”. 

It was actually down 4.5% to £9.2bn in the first half of 2021 compared to 2020, and down more than 17% from the first half of 2019, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF). 

The drop was driven by a 27.4% collapse in sales into the EU since 2019, which have dropped from £6.7bn to £4.9bn, the FDF said. EU exports so far in 2021 are also 15.9% down on the £5.8bn recorded in the first half of 2020.

Verdict

Johnson’s claim was false.