Exportation figures for Scotch whisky fell last year, ending a decade of consistent growth.
The value of Scotch whisky exports dropped by up to 39 per cent in half of its 20 top markets last year, resulting in an overall 7-per-cent drop in 2014. The disappointing figures are due to a significant dip in demand in the United States. Political tensions between Europe and Russia have compounded the industry’s troubled situation.
Furthermore, the news is bleak for distillers domestically, as sales volumes fell by 5 per cent during 2014. A recently introduced 2-per-cent tax cut followed the publication of this statistic.
David Frost, the Scotch Whiskey Association’s chief executive, was quoted as saying in The Guardian, “Economic and political factors in some important markets held back exports in 2014 after a decade of strong growth. It shows that the industry’s success cannot be taken for granted and that we must continue to argue for more open markets and ambitious trade deals that tackle barriers to market access.”
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article written by Peter Donnelly.
