World Scotch whiskey exports grew to greater than £6bn for the primary time final yr as Asia more and more craves a drink or three.
India changed France as the biggest marketplace for Scotch whiskey by quantity, the Scotch Whiskey Affiliation (SWA) revealed.
In a double enhance for Scotland’s economic system, Scottish salmon was the UK’s largest meals export by 2022, figures from HM Income and Customs revealed – with complete salmon export gross sales value £578 million final yr.
The EU accounted for nearly 64 % of gross sales, with the US and Chinese language markets remaining in style.
The worth of Scottish exports rose by 37 per cent to £6.2 billion. The Asia-Pacific area has overtaken the EU as the biggest regional market within the business, with double-digit development in Taiwan, Singapore, India and China.
India imported 219 million bottles of whiskey final yr, surpassing France when it comes to quantity. The Scotch Whiskey Affiliation mentioned whereas France elevated imports by 17 % to 205 million bottles, that was offset by a 60 % enhance in demand from India.
The SWA estimates that Scotch whiskey accounts for simply 2 % of the Indian market. But it surely believes the yet-to-be-finalized UK-India free commerce deal, which presents hope for a discount of the present 150 per cent tariff on Scotch whiskey in India, might additional enhance market entry with development potential for a an extra £1 billion over the subsequent 5 years.
Established EU markets similar to France, Germany and Spain additionally confirmed continued robust development, whereas gross sales to the US have been value simply over £1 billion final yr as distillers benefited from the suspension of the 25-year “Trump Tariff”. % on single malts.
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Mark Kent, from the Scotch Whiskey Affiliation, mentioned: “Exceeding £6bn in export worth for the primary time is a milestone and a testomony to the work of our member firms and the tens of 1000’s of staff throughout Scotland and the UK provide chain who make Scotch whiskey a worldwide success story of which we’re rightly proud.
“In 2022, the business benefited from the total reopening of hospitality companies in key world markets, in addition to the return of world journey retail, which opens such an vital window for Scotch whiskey for enterprise and leisure travellers.
Over 11,000 persons are immediately employed in Scotland’s Scotch Whiskey business and over 42,000 UK jobs are supported by the business.
The Scottish Authorities Minister for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, mentioned: “Food and drinks is considered one of our major export sectors.”
Regardless of a 6 per cent drop from the £614 million exports recorded in 2021 and following the document £61 million in 2019, salmon remained the UK’s largest meals export, forward of bakery merchandise (£556 million), chocolate and cocoa merchandise (£489 million) and
cheese ($457 million).
The commerce group Salmon Scotland instructed that the decline was partly attributable to extra fish going to the UK’s £1.2bn home market. Tavish Scott, from Salmon Scotland, mentioned: “Scottish salmon, sustainably farmed within the chilly waters off our west coast, are acknowledged as one of the best on this planet and that’s the reason they’re in such excessive worldwide demand. By way of accountable development of the blue economic system we can assist feed the world by rising one of the crucial nutritious meals
we will eat.”
