SCOTTISH SEAFOOD EXPORTS UP

Scottish seafood exports up. Scotland’s international exports (excluding oil and gas), of which seafood forms an important part increased by £1.9 billion to £32.4 billion in 2017, the highest annual growth rate (6.2%) since 2011.

The rise, revealed in the National Statistics Publication: Export Statistics Scotland (ESS) 2017, was driven by an increase in manufacturing exports, including food and drink. Fish and seafood account for the majority of food exports and were worth approximately £944 million, up from £768 million in 2016.

The majority of growth in 2017 was in exports to EU countries, up 13.3% to £14.9 billion – 46% of international exports in 2017 were to the EU.

Exports to the rest of the UK also increased, up £2.2 billion (4.6%) to £48.9 billion.

Scottish Economy Secretary Derek Mackay said:   “It is vital that the UK Government responds to the vote of the House of Commons on the 29 January and takes immediate and urgent steps to rule out a no-deal Brexit, which threatens to have devastating consequences for our economy, extend the Article 50 process and hold a second referendum on EU membership.”

In Spring 2019, the Scottish Government will set out a range of actions in its export plan ‘A Trading Nation’ as announced in the 2018 Programme for Government. Backed by £20 million of investment, the new growth plan will help further boost the value of Scotland’s overseas exports by focusing resources and interventions more effectively on the sectors and markets that will have the greatest impact for the Scottish economy.

Scotland’s GDP grew by 0.2% in real terms during the third quarter of 2018, following stronger growth in the first half of the year. On a rolling annual basis (4Q on 4Q), it has grown by 1.5%.

The latest Retail Sales Index statistics has also just been published this morning and show sales growth in Scotland picked up at the end of 2018. Retail sales grew 0.6% on the quarter in Scotland, compared to a fall of 0.2% across Great Britain as a whole.