Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Soapbox: Rum colonisation has to stop

Published: 22 March, 2022

Ian Burrell, the co-founder of African and Caribbean rum brand Equiano, makes the case for protecting Caribbean rum as a local and authentically made protect

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society celebrates its 150th distillery release

Published: 14 March, 2022

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) presents its landmark 150th distillery bottling this month – and it’s not a Scotch.

Scotch whisky exports on road to recovery after growth in 2021

Published: 14 February, 2022

Global exports of Scotch whisky grew to £4.51bn during 2021, according to figures released today by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), as the industry continues to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and US tariffs.

How can scotch thrive post-pandemic?

Published: 01 December, 2021

Douglas Blyde looks at some of the more innovative strides made by Scotch producers over the course of the pandemic in order to remain resilient in the fallout from Brexit, lockdowns and the USA’s draconian import taxes.

Calls made for UK to suspend US whisky tariffs as EU agrees deal

Published: 01 November, 2021

The Bourbon Alliance has called on the UK Government to remove tariffs on American Whiskeys following news that the US and EU have agreed a deal.

Scotch Whisky Association receives UN recognition for sustainability commitments

Published: 20 September, 2021

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has become the UK’s first food and drink trade association to be recognised as a Race to Zero partner.

Scotch whisky tariffs suspended

Published: 04 March, 2021

The US has lifted tariffs on Scotch whisky for four months as leaders enter into negotiations to put a long-term solution in place.

SWA backs Mexico-UK spirits accord

Published: 01 December, 2020

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has welcomed the announcement of the Mexico-UK Spirits Agreement.

Opinion: What if Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible reviews were written by a woman?

Published: 28 September, 2020

Backlash around sexually charged descriptions used in critic Jim Murray’s annual Whisky Bible has ignited debates around the double standard for the treatment of men and women both inside and outside of the whisky industry.

Chivas chief slams Scots govt for whisky sector lockdown failure

Published: 03 September, 2020

The Scottish government failed to support the Scottish whisky industry at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jean-Christophe Coutures, the chairman and chief executive of Chivas Brothers, has said.

Global online buying frenzy levelling out

Published: 11 August, 2020

The extraordinary upward curve in online wine and spirit sales appears to be flattening, suggests the latest data from Wine-Searcher.

Budget: Coronavirus relief for SMEs and employees

Published: 11 March, 2020

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered a bold response to the coronavirus crisis in his 11 March budget, with a raft of measures to support SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and their employees.

Unique private whisky collection up for sale

Published: 07 February, 2020

Perthshire-based specialist online whisky auction house Whisky Auctioneer has begun its sale of the largest private collection of whisky to go under the hammer.

US and UK whisky industries demand action on tariffs

Published: 29 January, 2020

Whisky industry bodies on both sides of the Atlantic have issued a joint call for their respective governments to stop using tariffs on whisky as a proxy battle in unrelated trade disputes.

SWA welcomes UK alcohol tax review

Published: 08 November, 2019

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has welcomed the Conservative pledge to review tax paid on a bottle of whisky.

Tariffs will slash US whisky exports by 20%, SWA warns

Published: 18 October, 2019

The 25% tariff on the import of Scottish single-malt whisky to the US, which came into force last night, will lose the industry 20% of its US exports in the first year, the Scotch Whisky Association has estimated.

SWA in crisis meeting with govt as tariff deadline looms

Published: 17 October, 2019

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is to meet secretary of state for trade Liz Truss later today to demand government action on the threatened US tariffs on Scotch.

MPs demand government action on US Scotch tariffs

Published: 08 October, 2019

Scottish MPs have demanded that Boris Johnson speaks directly to US president Donald Trump to avert the imposition of 25% import tariffs on Scotch.

SWA hires ex-FO mandarin for key international role

Published: 22 August, 2019

The Scotch Whisky Association has appointed a former senior official at the Foreign Office as the organisation’s international director.

Scottish government calls for post-Brexit protections for whisky

Published: 01 August, 2019

Scotch whisky must retain its current protected status if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, Fergus Ewing, the Scottish government’s secretary for the rural economy, has said.