SCOTCH WHISKY EXPORTS TO UNITED STATES DOWN 15% SINCE TARIFFS IMPLEMENTED

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has released figures for 2025 that show global exports of Scotch Whisky falling by -0.6% in value, and by -4.3% in volume, as the industry navigates significant challenges across multiple markets.  

Exports were valued at £5.36bn in 2025, with the equivalent of 1.3bn bottles exported around the world: 43 per second. Exports of Scotch Whisky, which previously totalled £5.4bn in 2024, have fallen in volume and value as the impact of international tariffs, increased cost of doing business in the UK, and softening consumer demand have hit producers and the supply chain.  

The industry’s most valuable export market, the United States, has seen export volume fall by -15% following the implementation of the 10% tariff in April 2025. The trade body has called on the UK Government to finalise a deal with the United States to return zero-tariff trade, which has been directly raised with President Trump by both Prime Minister Starmer and First Minister Swinney. 

In 2025, full year exports to the US fell by -4% in value to £933m. Volume fell more significantly, down -9.2% on the previous year to the equivalent of 120m bottles. The acute effect of the 10% tariff is clear with a -7% drop in export value and a -15% fall in volume between May and December 2025, and concerns remain that a UK-US deal to remove Scotch from tariff harm has not been secured almost a year since the tariff was first imposed. Tariff pressure on the Scotch Whisky industry has come into sharper focus with the potential rise to 35% in July this year: the sector is approaching the end of a five-year suspension of the 25% single malt tariff which cost Scotch Whisky producers over £600m in lost exports between 2019 and 2021, as a result of the Boeing-Airbus dispute.   

Along with pressures in the United States, the SWA has warned that the potential gains from recent deals to reduce tariffs in India and China will not be realised while the domestic tax and regulatory burden continues to increase to unsustainable levels. 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.  

Asia Pacific (APAC) 

Asia Pacific, previously the Scotch Whisky sector’s most valuable regional market, has seen a fall of -8.3% in value, with export volume remaining relatively steady (+0.08%)  

The Indian market has continued to grow, retaining its position as the industry’s biggest market by volume, and becoming its 3rd largest by value, with producers now looking ahead to the ratification of the UK-India FTA later in 2026 to further boost exports and enable long term market access opportunities. However, the industry has echoed findings in the recent report from the House of Lords, saying that in the short term, India’s future growth potential will not be enough to counter the widespread challenges that Scotch Whisky exports are facing.  

Link to House of Lords report: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ldselect/ldintagr/253/25302.htm  

p.4: “...the benefits for UK goods exporters will take some time to materialise, rendering the Agreement a longer-term strategic investment for the UK, rather than a quick win.”  

APAC had seen significant growth over the past decade, but markets including China, Singapore, and Thailand have seen total export value decrease during 2025. Last month China’s tariff on whisky imports was halved to 5%, which the industry has said will help to re-energise exports to the market in 2026 and beyond.