Fall in Scottish international drink sales hit Q2 export results

The overall volume of exports over the second quarter was hindered by a poor performance by the drinks sector, the data showed.

The second three months of 2015 saw a slump in overseas drink sales of 5.7 per cent in real terms, following strong growth in the year’s opening quarter.

Exports from engineering and allied industries were also down by 4.4 per cent.

Together the sectors account for more than half of international manufactured exports from Scotland.

The figures were included in the latest Index of Manufactured Exports for Scotland.

Comparing the latest four quarters to the previous four quarters, overall volumes grew by 3.2 per cent.

On a quarterly basis, exports from the food and drink sector were down by 3.9 per cent on the previous three-month period.

Although drink sales fell, food exports increased by 3.9 per cent.

The fall in engineering-related exports was attributed to contractions in mechanical engineering (-13 per cent) and transport equipment (-3.1 per cent).

Overseas sales of refined petroleum, chemical and pharmaceutical products grew by 5.5 per cent from the previous quarter, while exports of non-metallic, other manufacturing and repair products fell by 5.8 per cent.

Textiles, clothing and leather and metals and metal products both saw real-term increases, while wood, paper and printing saw a fall of 3.9 per cent.