The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) urges the UK government to end uncertainty in future trading conditions.

Figures from HMRC highlight a 10.8% increase in Scotch whisky exports to £2.19bn during the first half of this year.

SWA chief executive Karen Betts said: “It is great news for distillers, their employees and the communities in which we work, as well as for all the other businesses that work with the Scotch Whisky industry, to see exports of Scotch continue to grow.

“Demand for Scotch Whisky is growing both in developing markets, like India and in established ones like the US, Japan and Germany.

“This reflects the enduring popularity of Scotch Whisky in so many cultures around the world. It also reflects our industry’s continued focus on improving trading conditions. For example, removing tariffs and discriminatory taxes across our global markets.”

According to data, the overall scotch whisky exports volume increased by 7.1%. The exports of the single malts whisky increased by 18.8% to £652m in the first six months of the year.

SWA noted that the exports of blended Scotch whisky also increased by 7.5% to an export value of £1.35bn.

Betts added: “The value of exports grew more than anticipated in the first six months of 2019. We believe this was driven by action taken by producers to mitigate the risks of a no-deal Brexit and the threat of tariffs in key global markets.

“For example, there was significant growth in exports to South Korea and Morocco, both markets where tariffs could have been re-imposed if the UK had exited the EU without a deal on 29 March.”