THE value of Scotland’s exports to the EU has fallen by billions since Brexit, with every one of the country’s 32 local authorities being affected.
Data from HM Revenue and Customs shows that Brexit reversed the growth which had been seen before the UK left the European bloc.
Between 2018 and 2019, before Brexit officially kicked in, Scotland’s exports to EU countries rose by a total of £420 million, according to figures reported in the Herald.
However, from 2019 to 2021, the value of those Scottish exports plummeted by £2.2 billion, from £16.7bn to £14.5bn.
The impact has not been even across the country, with some areas being hit much harder than others.
North Lanarkshire was one of the hardest hit councils, seeing a drop of £137.1m in the value of its exports to the EU.
Other hard hit areas include, perhaps predictably, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Scotland’s two largest cities lost £255m and £211.4m respectively to the impacts of Brexit on their EU exports.
The below map shows how the impact of Brexit has caused the value of Scottish exports to the EU from every part of the country to fall. The scale moves from maroon for the least impacted areas, through white to black for the hardest hit.
The Scottish Government's Europe Minister – and the MSP for Airdrie and Shotts – Neil Gray said the figures showed that Brexit “has been an unmitigated disaster for every area of Scotland”.
Gray went on: “These latest figures show why it is essential for Scotland to become independent and re-join the European Union.
“Only with independence can we get back on the road towards prosperity as both Labour and the Tories offer no way back to the European Union, just continuing decline under Westminster control.
“Industries in Airdrie and Shotts and across Scotland are suffering as a result of the disastrous Brexit, the only way Scotland can flourish and realise our full potential is by becoming an independent country in the European Union.”
