First Minister John Swinney will meet US Ambassador Warren A. Stephens at the First Minister’s official residence Bute House on Saturday.
During the meeting, the First Minister has said he will continue to set out the case for a better deal for the Scotch whisky industry, as part of the wider UK-USA trade negotiations. The United States is Scotland’s largest export market for whisky and is worth more than a billion pounds each year. The Scotch Whisky Association has said that a 10% tariff is costing the sector almost £20 million a month in lost exports.
The First Minister will also reaffirm Scotland’s long standing economic and cultural ties with the United States as well as the Scottish Government’s support for a just transition for the oil and gas sector.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, the First Minister said: “I have been clear about the importance of building a constructive relationship with the United States to promote the economic interests of Scotland. The United States is a priority trade partner and both Scotland’s largest inward investor and largest export market, so it is critical we continue building on these ties to seize future opportunities.
“As part of my discussions with the US Ambassador, I will continue to make the case for our whisky industry and the mutually beneficial deal that is on the table. This follows my earlier discussions with President Trump about the tariffs impacting Scotch whisky and the symbiotic partnership which exists between the Scotch and US whisky industries. It is in the economic interest of both our countries to reduce tariffs for Scotch whisky.”
