- Exports by value flat – -0.6% – in 2025, totalling GBP5.36bn (US$7.32bn)
- Volumes for the 12-month period decline 4.3% to 104m nine-litre cases
- The US remains scotch whisky’s largest value market, but shipments dropped 4% to GBP933m
The value of scotch whisky exports continued its downward trend last year, according to Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) figures, albeit at a slower rate than in 2024.
Exports in the 12 months of last year were essentially flat in value terms, dipping by 0.6% to GBP5.36bn, compared to a 3.7% drop in 2024. However, volumes were down 4.3% to 104.2m nine-litre cases, while volumes rose 3.9% in the year prior to 109m nine-litre cases.
The SWA put the performances down to “the impact of international tariffs, increased cost of doing business in the UK, and softening consumer demand [which] have hit producers and the supply chain”.
Despite recent deals to reduce tariffs on UK spirits, including, scotch, in India and China, the trade body said “potential gains… will not be realised while the domestic tax and regulatory burden [in the UK] continues to increase to unsustainable levels”.
It added: “With some distilleries halting or reducing production and jobs being lost in the industry and wider supply chain, the industry has warned that more businesses will close their doors for good during 2026 if clear measures of support from Westminster and Holyrood are not forthcoming.”
Full-year exports to the US, scotch’s largest export market by value, were down 4% to GBP933m, while volumes declined 9.2% to 9.3m nine-litre cases. The SWA said “the acute effect of the 10% tariff”, announced by US authorities last March and implemented in April, is evidenced by a 7% decrease in value and 15% drop in volume between May and December.
In the EU, exports totalled GBP1.5bn, down 1.8%, with volumes sliding by 9%. France remained the second-largest market for scotch overall, despite shipments by value declining 3.6% to GBP404m. India retained its position as the biggest market by volume, with shipments rising 15%, while value was also up 15%, at GBP286m.
Heading in the other direction, however, was Japan, which was down in volume terms by 27% and dropped out of the top ten value markets altogether. Turkey, meanwhile, leapt by 43% in value on a volumes lift of 13%.
Last month, Indian Made Foreign Liquor producer Radico Khaitan started making moves to acquire a scotch whisky distillery through a to-be-created subsidiary in Scotland.
