Salmon exports from Scotland helped to increase Britain’s export sales by 5pc last year. Exports of the Scottish fish to the USA rose by £43m to hit £199m, while sales to China almost doubled from £23m to £50m.
“These impressive figures are the result of the fantastic reputation our salmon enjoys around the world,” said Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation.
“The latest export figures just scratch the surface with the growth of people looking for premium and healthy foods, there remains plenty of scope to share this rapidly expanding market.”
Last year, total export sales of food and non-alcoholic drinks achieved £12.8bn, the research found, an increase of 5 % on the previous year.
The statistics signal a return to export growth for the UK, following a flat year in 2012.