Browse Data and Analysis

In the United Kingdom (UK) regulatory changes affecting high-sugar soft drinks and food and drink products high in fat, sugar, and salt food (HFSS) come into effect in April and October 2025.

Malaysia's food processing sector continues to be an attractive destination for U.S. food ingredients. Food and beverage manufacturing remain priority areas of economic growth for Malaysia and have boasted solid performance in the past several years.

The United Kingdom's (UK) food manufacturing sector faces a challenging landscape, with cost increases projected to reach 2.9 percent in 2025. In response, manufacturers are strategically focusing on new product development to capture market share and cater to evolving consumer demands for healthier choices.

The United Kingdom is still facing a cost-of-living crisis. In October 2024, businesses and consumer confidence indexes dropped to the lowest level this year as uncertainty looms with regards to the newly elected Labour administration and what they may announce in the October 30 government budget.

After strong growth in 2023, the food retail sector is expected to see moderate but positive growth in the remainder of 2024. Expansion of convenience stores and small format retail outlets continues, while premium supermarkets have also expanded.

The 2023 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world during the 2023 calendar year.

The Malaysian food and beverage manufacturing industry is a significant sector in Malaysia’s economic expansion for both the domestic and export market. This sector includes several multinational corporation facilities as well as a range of local company operations.

The UK food ingredients sector is a thriving and competitive market, driven by changing consumer demands, technological advancements, and an emphasis on quality and safety.

Changes to UK alcohol tax rates were implemented on August 1, 2023. The UK government calls this an alcohol duty, but it is an excise tax charged at the point of production or importation of drinks of alcoholic strength exceeding 1.2 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) – the percentage of pure alcohol per liter of product.

Malaysia was the 26th-largest export destination for U.S. agricultural products in 2022, totaling nearly $1.1 billion in value, and is a top prospect for exports of food and beverage ingredients because of its large and growing food processing industry.

The cost-of-living crisis dominates this report, highlighting the increased price of food faced by consumers in the UK.

Malaysia’s retail sales are projected to grow to US$1.8 billion in 2023. The Malaysian food and beverage retail market is a competitive landscape and is highly fragmented.