Nine In Ten EU Whiskies Come From The UK

Nine in every ten bottles of whisky produced in the EU originated from the UK, according to new EU figures.

The UK produced whisky worth more than €3.7 billion in 2016, which accounts for 85% of the total value in the EU, at €4.4 billion, and 88% in terms of quantity, according to figures by Eurostat.

Almost three quarters of exported whisky from the EU came from the UK, selling almost €5 million-worth of the spirit in 2016, of which 69% went outside the EU.

French Imports

Within the EU, France was the main importer of whiskies, with €750 worth of the drink flowing into the country during that year. The country made up almost one quarter (24%) of the EU’s total value of whisky imports of €3.1 billion.

France was followed by Germany (€441 million, 14%), Spain (€372 million, 12%), the Netherlands (€264 million, 9%), the United Kingdom (€202 million, 7%) and Poland (€128 million, 4%).

The main export destination for EU whiskies outside of the bloc was the United States with almost a third (32.5%) of exports, or €1.4 billion out of a total of €4.3 billion.

The US was followed by Singapore (€306 million, 7%), Taiwan (€220 million, 5%) and the United Arab Emirates (€187 million, 4%).

Reciprocal Trade

The US was also the largest source of imported whiskeys to the EU during the year. EU Member States imported €626 million in whiskies from abroad with 81% (€506 million) from non-EU countries coming from the other side of the Atlantic.

Irish whiskey exports recorded a 14.2% increase in value in 2017, with a 16.7% increase to the US, its largest export market, according to recent figures by the CSO.

An estimated 120 million bottles of the Irish spirit were sold in 2017, worth over €600 million in exports, up one fifth (20%) from the year before.

“Irish whiskey remains the fastest growing spirits category in the world,” said William Lavelle, head of the Irish Whiskey Association. “This growth is showing signs of no abatement. Our industry has global ambitions and we are targeting more growth in more markets.”