Whisky fuels 150% China trade boost
CHINESE imports of Scottish food and drink have soared by 150 per cent over the past decade, figures reveal.
The boom has been driven by a growing appetite for whisky and seafood.
The figures were shared by Nicola Sturgeon as she headed to China and Hong Kong for a five-day visit.
She said: ‘The astonishing growth in Scottish food and drink exports to China is testament not only to the high quality of our produce but a reminder of the huge opportunities open to us in the Chinese market. Total goods exports to China across the whole of the Scottish economy increased by more than 40 per cent last year.
‘My visit is an opportunity to further promote the best of Scotland in the world’s second-largest economy.’
Whisky accounts for the bulk of food and drink exports, worth £61 million – up 45 per cent compared with 2007. Fish and seafood is the primary food export, valued at £50 million last year – up more than 12-fold in a decade.
The First Minister is looking to boost trade further and secure investment, after a £10 billion deal with Chinese investors collapsed in 2016.
Ms Sturgeon had signed an agreement with SinoFortone and China Railway No 3 Engineering Group (CR3), but it collapsed amid concerns about the human rights record of CR3’s parent company. It became known as the ‘Scottish shambles’ in China.
Scots Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has demanded the Scottish Government publish human rights reports on any firms the First Minister secures trade deals with during her trip.
He said: ‘The First Minister will no doubt be putting pen to paper on a number of deals. We need to know if they have been subject to the strengthened human rights assessments process promised over a year ago.’