Scottish salmon exports have surged to £6bn over the past decade but supply is failing to meet demand, according to the salmon industry.
The figure, compiled from HMRC data by Salmon Scotland, showed annual exports rose from £445m at the start of the decade to £828m last year – an increase of 86%.
Volume sales also rose by 51% over the same period and the UK’s highest-value food export reached 94 countries between 2016 and 2025.
However, the industry body warned Scottish salmon production was struggling to keep pace with demand, having increased by just 1.8% per year over the past decade.
“The figures also underline the challenge,” said Salmon Scotland CEO Tavish Scott. “Demand continues to grow, yet production has increased only modestly.
“What we need is smarter, more effective regulation, not less regulation, so Scotland can meet rising demand sustainably while maintaining the highest standards.”
Of the £6bn sum, the north west Highlands accounted for the greatest share (£1.7bn), followed by Shetland (£1.3bn), Argyll and Bute (£1.2bn), Western Isles (£1.1bn) and Orkney (£663m).
Salmon Scotland said the sector employed around 2,500 people, with a further 8,500 employed throughout its supply chain, helping to generate £1bn for the economy.
Scott added: “This success matters for the rural and island communities that depend on salmon farming for skilled, year-round employment.”
France and the United States were the most valuable markets for Scottish salmon, with sales worth £337m and £301m respectively. Whilst exports to the European country have plunged, however, those to the States have surged 34% in value and 44% in volume.
This has been despite the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration’s tariffs, of which the most recent iteration was struck down by the US Court of International Trade in a two-to-one decision.
A Salmon Scotland spokesman told The Grocer it was “monitoring this evolving situation closely” following the ruling.
A Scottish government source said a new set of tariffs was likely to be announced once the US government’s ongoing investigations into its trading partners, regarding forced labour and industrial overcapacity, conclude.
“As previously stated, the Scottish government has been clear that trade tariffs are damaging to our economy and cause real uncertainty for both businesses and workers,” the Scottish government said. “We continue to monitor the US administration’s next steps in order to understand how further developments will affect tariffs for Scottish goods, including salmon.”
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