French May Overtake Americans For Whisky Sales

[William]

France is on brink of displacing USA as biggest Scotch whisky export market.

The Scotch Whisky Association's latest figures show a dramatic rise in Scotch whisky consumption in France. Until now, America has been - and still is, just - the strongest export market for the dram.

This has been fairly predictable with the USA's strong affinity with Scotland through Scottish diaspora descendants and through today's first generation Scots residents, brought there by the oil industry. But times are changing, the French are into Scotch - malts and blends - at a growth rate of 22% between 2007 and 2008, the biggest rise in any extra-territorial market.

The figures show that, with the recession biting in America, sales fell to £371 million in that market last year, a drop of £48 million(11%) from the 2007 figure of £419 million. The 22% sales rise in France in the same year took the export value to ££358 million for that country.

This takes whisky to a position of greater popularity in France than cognac and the French preference is for malts: top is an 18 year-old Glenfiddich, with Aberlour in second place.

Sales of Scotch are resisting the recession like little else. There is a growing market in eastern Europe with, for example, trade in Poland increasing last year by 330% and South Korea spending £148 million, in spite of a 20% protective tariff barrier on its import.

The overall performance of the Scotch whisky market last year topped £3 billion for the first time.

William