The Wine And Sprit Trade Association Shines A Spotlight On The Trade  

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has created a new brochure designed to highlight the economic importance and complexity of the UK’s wine and spirit trade.

The publication – entitled “The UK Wine and Spirit Trade In Focus” – is designed to help bring to life the value of the sector as we run into, what is going to be, a crucial Autumn Budget for the trade.

The industry continues to “lick its wounds” as businesses find themselves facing crippling rising costs and a stifling amount of new red tape, following the introduction of a new duty regime, historically punishing hikes and an excessively large new glass packaging tax.

The educational booklet reminds politicians and policy makers that the industry supports over 412,000 jobs of which 62% work in hospitality*. This works out approximately the same number of people working in agriculture, forestry and fishing combined.

The trade is a huge asset to the UK generating £76.3 billion in economic activity in 2022 – £43 billion of that from the spirit sector and £33 billion from wine.

The UK currently remains a global hub for the wine and spirit trade with the equivalent of 1.7 billion bottles of wine imported last year and the equivalent of 1.5billion bottles of spirits exported overseas. Making the UK the world’s second largest wine importer – by both volume and by value – and the largest spirits exporter globally.

As well as putting into focus the output of the wine and spirit trade the booklet takes us on a journey across the supply chain and highlights the importance of the jobs it brings to the UK.

It promotes the sector’s leading innovations in environmental practices and encompasses the depth of the industry from producers, importers, exporters, retailers and the supply chain.

Miles Beale, Chief Executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association said:  
“It has been clear from our engagement with policy makers and politicians, many of whom are still relatively new in their roles, the value and complexity of the UK wine and spirit industry was not well understood.

As wine and spirit businesses lick their wounds after a brutal onslaught of rising business taxes, increased costs from alcohol duty hikes and new waste packaging taxes it is crucial that we make those who have influence understand and support our trade.

Further tax rises would be the final nail in the coffin for many businesses who have had to find painful ways to cut costs, including putting up prices for consumers and cutting jobs, just to stay afloat.

Our Wine and Spirit Trade in Focus booklet is available on the WSTA website to download and share. We aim to stand up for and to promote the value and importance of our fabulous, but threatened sector.”