A Scottish salmon fillet.

Scottish salmon was UK's most valuable food export in 2023

Editorial team
Published Last updated

Scottish salmon was the UK’s most valuable food export in 2023, new figures from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) show.

Export sales of Scottish salmon increased by 0.5% to £581 million in the calendar year, equivalent to £1.6 million every day, despite restricted supply leading to export volumes falling by 11% from 72,300 tonnes to 64,000 tonnes.

UK’s most valuable food exports 2023

  • Scottish salmon: £580.6m
  • Cheddar cheese: £445.3m
  • Lamb: £439.2m
  • Sauces and seasonings: £367.6m
  • Beef: £285.9m

France was once again the biggest market, taking half – 32,010 tonnes – of Scottish salmon exports, although that volume was 26% lower than in 2022.

Exports to the United States increased by 1% to 13,204 tonnes, and exports were to China by 36% (3,941 tonnes), to Ireland by 101% (3,612 tonnes), and to Taiwan by 40% (1,091 tonnes).

Salmon (Scottish and imported) is also the most popular fish among UK shoppers, with sales running at around £1.25 billion a year.

Value and volume of Scottish salmon exports by country.
Value and volume of Scottish salmon exports by region.
scottish salmon exports 2023 news