Salmon Scotland has praised the government’s £3.7bn trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The industry body said the move would “provide a boost for Scottish exports amid global economic uncertainty” and follows a 2025 in which Scottish salmon exports to the bloc hit £6.5m.
According to HMRC data, the GCC accounted for 54% of all Scottish salmon exports to the Middle East and North Africa last year. The United Arab Emirates was the largest market with sales worth £3.9m.
Despite the ongoing Iran war, increased insurance and air freight costs, Salmon Scotland said sales had “continued strongly in 2026”.
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, welcomed the agreement and looked forward to its ratification and entry into force.
“Stability and international support at a time of international volatility is important for solidarity with our trading partners as well as for our exporters and customers,” Scott said. “Removing tariffs and improving market access across the trading bloc will increase the opportunities for our producers to grow Scottish salmon exports to the region.”
Once fully implemented, The Grocer reported around £580m in export duties would be removed per year as part of the agreement – based on current UK exports to the GCC. An estimated £360m of this would be removed from the first day of it coming into force.
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