Britain’s whisky trade is worth over £5 billion ($7.6 billion) to the economy each year and provides over 40,000 jobs, according to a recent study.

The report by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) found that despite a slowdown in exports, billions of bottles of whisky were sold globally each year.

“Scotch whisky must be recognised as a cultural asset that boosts growth and jobs, supports communities and combines the best of the traditional and the modern,” said SWA chief executive David Frost.

The whisky industry was worth £3.3 billion to the British economy, with its supply chain, packaging, and distribution worth another £1.8 billion.

The industry employs 10,900 people in manufacturing and distilleries, and supports about 30,000 jobs in its supply chain, the report found.

The whisky industry also accounted for three quarters of Scotland’s food and drink exports, and the report stressed the importance of the trade as an employer in more rural areas.