Scottish whisky market slides into supply glut amid falling sales and US tariffs

Global sales fall by 3% in third consecutive year of decline as distilleries scale back production or expand storage

The Scottish whisky market has slipped into a supply glut as US tariffs and falling demand weigh on the country’s distilleries.

Global scotch sales fell 3% in the first half of 2025, marking the third consecutive year of decline after decades of growth, according to the alcohol data provider IWSR.

Distilleries have been grappling with uncertainty around Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, as well as declining rates of alcohol consumption.

While Keir Starmer secured a trade deal with Trump in May, whisky imports from the UK into the US are still subject to a 10% tariff. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has estimated that it costs the sector £4m a week.