The continuing popularity of Scotch whisky shows no sign of abating in Australia, with the value and volume of exports to this country increasing in 2018.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has told TheShout, that Australia is currently the 12th largest market for both value and volume after the increases seen last year.
A spokesperson for the SWA said: “The value of exports to Australia in 2018 was £114.1m, which is up 10.7 per cent. The volume of exports to Australia in 2018 was 8.6 million litres of pure alcohol, which is up 1.7 per cent.”
The figures mirror another impressive year in global markets for Scotch whisky, with official figures from HM Revenue and Customs revealing global growth by both value and volume.
In 2018, the export value of Scotch whisky grew by 7.8 per cent by value, to a record £4.70bn. The number of 70cl bottles exported also reached record levels growing to the equivalent of 1.28bn, up 3.6 per cent.
The United States became the first billion pound export market for Scotch whisky, growing to £1.04bn last year. The EU remains the largest region for exports, accounting for 30 per cent of global value and 36 per cent of global volume.
Blended Scotch whisky underlined its position as the bedrock of the industry with global exports of £3.04bn. There was further growth in exports of single malt Scotch whisky, growing by 11.3 per cent in 2018 to £1.30bn.
Commenting on the overall figures, Chief Executive of the SWA Karen Betts said: “2018 was another year of strong export growth for Scotch Whisky, attesting to its enduring popularity in different countries and among cultures right across the world. Quite simply, Scotch whisky remains the whisky everyone wants to drink.
“These figures underscore strength of the Scotch whisky category, which has continued to grow despite the challenges posed by Brexit and by tensions in the global trading system.
“A key driver for global growth is the growing market for premium spirits. Scotch whisky is in a great position to take advantage of this given its unrivalled reputation for quality, authenticity and provenance.”
