THE Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) is calling for zero tariffs to be applied to European exports of Scotch after Brexit.
The association’s chief executive, Karen Betts, will use her speech at the SWA members’ day conference in Edinburgh to demand that this be the “minimum” the UK Government deliver in upcoming negotiations.
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Deputy First Minister John Swinney is also due to attend the event.
Betts will urge the UK Government to ensure trading deals with 24 key nations provide “as good or better terms” for the sector and stress that the industry is not “taken for granted by government”.
Currently, one-third of whisky exports go to Europe each year, with the SWA describing the continent as a “mature market” for its products.
Over the past two decades Scotch whisky exports have doubled in value, with sales hitting a total of approximately £4.4 billion. Exports have been made to 180 countries across the globe.
“We are proud of our industry’s success and of our global reach, that we are intrepid internationalists and that Scotch travels so well,” Betts will say.
“We continue to call on government to ensure that, after Brexit, we can trade as easily with Europe as we did as an EU member.
“A third of Scotch whisky exports go to Europe, an established, mature market for Scotch.
“At a minimum, we want to see agreement on zero tariffs, a minimum of regulatory divergence and mutual recognition of geographical indications. “
While the EU has trade deals in place with more than 100 other countries, 24 of these – including South Korea and Colombia – are “very important” to the whisky sector.
“The loss of these agreements would directly, negatively impact Scotch whisky,” Betts will say.
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