For the first time Scotch Whisky exports have gone over £6bn, with a number of big movers in the Asian Pacific market.

Global exports of Scotch Whisky grew to more than £6bn for the first time in 2022, according to figures released in February by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).  

The value of Scotch Whisky exports was up 37% by value, to £6.2bn. 

The Asia-Pacific region overtook the EU as the industry’s largest regional market, with double-digit growth in Taiwan, Singapore, India and China as the post-Covid recovery continued.    

The big headliner within these figures is India’s growth, replacing France as the largest Scotch Whisky market by volume. Despite 60% growth, Scotch still only comprises 2% of the Indian whisky market. SWA analysis shows that a UK-India FTA deal which eases the 150% tariff burden on Scotch Whisky in India could boost market access for Scotland’s whisky companies, allowing for an additional £1bn of growth over the next five years. 

In North America, the United States returned to its position as the only market with exports valued over £1bn, following the impacts of tariffs on Single Malt Scotch. Both Mexico and Canada also saw growth, underlining the importance of securing further market access wins through the renegotiation of the UK’s Free Trade Agreements with both countries.

Meanwhile established EU markets such as France, Germany and Spain continued their post-pandemic bounce-back with strong growth in 2022.

Source: Cask Trade