THE importance of Scotland having continued access to the European Union single market has been highlighted by the latest trade figures on food and drink exports.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing has welcomed figures that show Scottish food and drink exports to Europe were up by £119 million in the first half of 2017 when compared to the same period the previous year.

The nine per cent increase in the value of total exports to £2.5billion was fuelled by exports to the EU over the past six months.

Statistics showed that food exports increased by 24 per cent to £770m, whisky exports grew £57m – up three per cent – to £1.8bn, while fish and seafood exports were up 38 per cent to £459m.

Countries in the European Union received 69 per cent of all food exports from Scotland. This figure is in line with the recent overseas trade statistics issued by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, which showed that, of all the areas and regions of the UK, only Scotland and Northern Ireland were net exporters.

Scotland’s exports went up by 21.1 per cent to £27.1bn in the year to June, while imports grew 17.7 per cent to £22.8bn, making Scotland a net exporter by £4.3bn. Meanwhile, England’s imports were worth £363.7bn but exports were shown to be just £235.5bn.

The HMRC figures showed that the largest export partner by value was the United States for England, Germany for Wales, the Netherlands for Scotland, and the Irish Republic for Northern Ireland.

Ewing said: “While these figures clearly show our food and drink industry to be in rude health, they also highlight the importance of continued access to vital European markets. The EU accounted for 69 per cent of our total food and 31 per cent of our drinks exports – a significant, and potentially at-risk amount.

“I am committed to doing everything I can to help support our food and drinks industry to export more, and to more markets, as outlined in the industry-led Ambition 2030 strategy that aims to double the sector’s turnover by 2030. Our larder is world renowned for its quality and diversity, and these figures clearly demonstrate how our industry is continuing to go from strength to strength.”

James Withers, chief executive of Scotland Food & Drink, said: “This is another boost to Scotland’s food export performance, with international trade rising by a quarter from the same time last year. With nearly 70 per cent of food exports destined for Europe, these figures are a further reminder that a comprehensive trade deal between the UK and EU is essential for our industry and the Scottish economy.

“With Scottish food and drink making huge strides across North America and the Far East with Scottish trade staff opening doors overseas, this export success story has much farther still to go.”

Susan Beattie, head of food and drink at Scottish Development International, said: “Scotland’s extensive larder of natural, high-quality products continues to drive global appetite for our food and drink exports. The Scotland Food & Drink in-market specialists are opening doors for Scottish companies with high-end retailers, luxury hotels, leading chefs and distributors to help drive this growth, while our recent Showcasing Scotland event attracted 100 international buyers from 16 countries to meet with 140 food and drink businesses in Scotland.”