UK spirits exports to US sink 60% in Q1
Exports of UK spirits to the US plunged by 60% in the first quarter of 2026, but US exports to the UK soared.
The UK’s Food and Drink Federation (FDF) published its latest Trade Snapshot report for the first three months of 2026, covering export data for the nation’s biggest food and drink products.
Whisky is the UK’s leading food and drink export globally, while gin was the 10th-largest.
On a global scale, exports of UK whisky and gin saw their volumes rise by mid-single digits in Q1. Whisky exports grew by 5.4% and gin exports were up by 4.4%.
In terms of value, whisky only dropped by 1.1% to £1.2 billion (US$1.58bn), but gin managed to grow by 2.2% to £133.3 million (US$176.2m).
The report noted that UK-made whisky saw its export volumes to the US plunge by 14.% in Q1, while value plummeted by more than a quarter (27%) to £182.1m (US$240.7m).
After whisky and salmon, the third-largest UK food and drink export to the US was gin, which saw a greater decrease in volumes. The juniper spirit’s volumes tumbled by 24%, while its value dropped by 17.8% to £39.6m (US$52.3m).
Spirits, which was the ninth-largest UK food and drink export to the States, saw a staggering 60% drop in value to £12.1m (US$16m). Volume-wise, it slipped by 37.3%.
The FDF noted that the removal of 10% tariffs on UK whisky from the US “offers an opportunity to grow exports”.
Exports of UK-made wine also struggled in the US, falling by 64.7% in value and 47.8% in volume. It was just ahead of spirits in the ranking of top 10 UK food and drink exports to the US, holding the eighth spot.
In total, the value of UK food and drink exports fell by 4.8% globally in Q1. Volumes slumped by 8.9% – its third-lowest level since 2000.
The FDF said American food and drink makers are strengthening their position in Britain, with US imports to the UK up by 11.5%.
Brits show penchant for American spirits
Looking at the top 10 food and drink imports from the US, wine was the fourth biggest, while spirits was the seventh largest, followed by whiskey in eighth place.
The FDF highlighted that salmon, spirits and chocolate from the US all saw strong export gains in the UK.
Q1 exports of US spirits to the UK skyrocketed by 144.5% in value to £16.9m (US$22.3m), and volumes grew by 202.2%.
On the other hand, US whiskey exports to the UK saw a similar trend to its British counterpart, falling by 24.2% in value to £13.2m (US$17.5m). In terms of volume, US whiskey exports were down by 13.7%.
UK-made wine also saw its Q1 export volume and value to the US fall by 14.9% and 19.5% (£23.6m/US$31.2m), respectively.
Looking at the EU market, UK whisky exports saw an uptick of 0.9% in value to £334.3m (US$441.9m), while volumes dipped by 2.7%.
Karen Betts, chief executive of the FDF, said: “The costs of producing food and drink in the UK are higher than in many competitor economies, from energy to employment, and constantly changing regulation only adds to these.
“There is plenty the government can do to improve the competitiveness of our food and drink exporters, many of which are SMEs [small- to medium-sized enterprises], from helping companies to access the benefits of trade deals to lowering the cost of doing business in the UK.”
Looking back to 2025, exports of UK whisky saw both volume and value fall, while gin grew in both areas, the FDF revealed in March.
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