Data from HM Revenue and Customs revealed that Scotch exports hit a new record high of £4.36bn, up 9% from 2016. The volume exported also increased by 1.9%. The previous high for export value was £4.273bn in 2012.

France still leads the world in Scotch consumption with 17m bottles exported in 2017, a 5.9% increase from 2016. Latvia’s import of Scotch whisky hit a high of more than 74% growth. The top 10 largest export destinations for Scotch in the world defined by volume in 2017 were:

1. France: 178m bottles, -5.9%
2. USA: 127m bottles, +7.4%
3. India: 89m bottles, -4.8%
4. Spain: 61m bottles, -4.6%
5. Germany: 56m bottles, +5.8%
6. Mexico: 53m bottles, -7.5%
7. South Africa: 52m bottles, +17.0%
8. Singapore: 47m bottles, +14.2%
9. Latvia: 37m bottles, +74.9%
10. Brazil: 36m bottles, -15.4%

Karen Betts, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) said "These encouraging figures show how popular Scotch whisky is right around the world”. She mentioned that this is a result weaker pound.

Casks with Maturing Whisky at Tomatin Distillery

In terms of value, Taiwan showed a decrease in Scotch exports with £160m, down by -8.3% from 2016. All other major export markets showed growth including the US, France, Singapore, Germany and Spain. Exports to Latvia more than doubled in 2017 with 105% increase. The top 10 largest export destinations for Scotch in the world defined by value in 2017 were:

1. US: £922m, +7.7%
2. France: £433m, +2.1%
3. Singapore: £291m, +29.4%
4. Germany: £184m, +13.5%
5. Spain: £175m, +5.2%
6. Taiwan: £160m, -8.3%
7. UAE: £130m, -1.2%
8. Latvia: £120m, +105%
9. South Africa: £114m, +20.7%
10. Mexico: £111m, -0.4%

The world’s interest in Scotch and single maltsis evident particlualry with distillery expansions such as Glenmorangie adding a new still house that will allow them to increase capacity to meet increasing global demand. Scotch Whisky is also sold in around 200 markets worldwide, accounting for over 20% of all UK food and drinks exports.