Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of growth potential for UK spirits exports to international markets.

Our Free Trade Agreements are unlocking new opportunities for our drink sector. Alcohol and other high-end goods are serving existing and rapidly expanding middle class markets in East Asia, South East Asia, Asia Pacific and the Gulf. Embracing these fast-growing markets will ensure our drink producers always have somewhere to sell their produce and be better prepared for the future.

Our Free Trade Agreement with Australia will remove tariffs on all products, including UK whisky. This could provide a boost to whisky exports to Australia, already worth £115 million last year.

A trade agreement with India could also boost whisky exports. Annual duties on UK whisky exports to India were estimated be around £164 million based on 2019 trade data.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a growing market for UK food and drinks and joining CPTPP could provide greater opportunities to sell our highly competitive products. UK wine exports to CPTPP members more than doubled between 2016 and 2021 whilst exports in UK gin increased by almost 50%.