The clock is ticking: 6,500 jobs are at risk from American tariffs on British distillers. The UK only has days to stop the US Administration imposing even more punitive tariffs on our world-leading whiskies and gins. The Government must act now to #CallTimeOnTariffs before it’s too late.
The UK is a proud spirits producing nation.
Our spirits industry is a vital part of the tourism and hospitality sector. We can’t afford to put this great British success story at risk.
That’s why we’re telling the Government to back the industry by reducing the burden on spirits duty and preventing the imposition of unfair tariffs.
Support the UK Spirits Alliance today
Spirits contributed more than £3.7 billion to HM Treasury receipts in 2018 and are responsible for more than £5 billion in UK exports a year as premium products highly valued in both established and developing markets including the US, China and India.
Government must now back the industry and the sections of the economy it supports by reducing spirits excise duty and calling time on unfair tariffs.
Our contribution to the economy has been recognised by government in recent years through a stable, common sense approach to the duty regime. This has encouraged investment, growth and innovation.
The UK spirits industry spans the length and breadth of the country. The number of gin distilleries has more than doubled in the last five years.
In the March 2020 Budget, the government recognised our contribution to the economy by freezing duty. As a result, revenues for the public purse are expected to increase. But now more needs to be done to support recovery and protect jobs.
Despite recent freezes, the tax burden on UK spirits is 72 per cent – that’s £10.38 on a typical £14 bottle of gin or whisky.
The industry also faces a significant threat in the potential introduction of tariffs by the US, our largest export market, on products such as gin. This would compound the damaging impact of 25 percent tariffs applied by the US to Single Malt Scotch Whiskies and liqueurs since October 2019.
