Scotch Exports To The U.S. Slip Below Pre-Pandemic Levels

Scotch whisky exports to the U.S. were down 7% in both volume and value terms last year, with shipment value slipping 8.5% below pre-pandemic levels at £978 million ($1.2b), according to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). The trade group said the decline was “reflective of global economic conditions and rising living costs for consumers in the U.S., which remains a dynamic, competitive market for whisky.”

Destocking by distributors also took a toll last year. While conditions are expected to improve over the course of 2024, the SWA noted that this year marks the halfway point of the five-year removal of U.S. tariffs on single malt (originally imposed in 2019), and is urging the U.K. and U.S. to forge a longer-term agreement on tariff-free trade. The U.S. remains the top export market for Scotch by value, roughly twice the size of second-ranked France.

Globally, Scotch exports were down 10% to £5.6 billion ($7b) year-over-year, but remain 14% larger than in 2019. At the high end of the category, global shipments of single malt topped the £2 billion ($2.5b) mark for the first time last year.—Daniel Marsteller

GET YOUR FIRST LOOK AT 2025 ESTIMATES AND 2030 PROJECTIONS FOR THE WINE AND SPIRITS INDUSTRIES. ORDER YOUR 2025 IMPACT DATABANK REPORTS. CLICK HERE.