Scottish First Minister John Swinney to capital of the United States. He hasn’t forgotten Scotch whisky tariffs, and he wants to discuss new talks. This visit will be his second trip to the US this year. He took part in the Tartan Week celebrations in New York earlier this April. Swinney is in Washington DC at the moment as guest of UK Ambassador Lord Mandelson. Though he’s just getting started, Randall is deeply engaged in a multi-meeting process convened by that Scottish government.
The most important part of Swinney’s visit came in the form of a meeting with ex-US president Donald Trump up in Aberdeenshire. As a long-time Scotch whisky enthusiast, his greatest concern was the impact the tariffs were having on the imports of Scotch whisky. These tariffs have devastated the industry.
Since 2019, the Scotch whisky industry has fought significant headwinds. The final straw came with the government’s introduction of a 25% tariff on exports to the US. In 2021, they backed off and suspended these tariffs for a period of five years. Yet the industry has so far lost £626 million in exports due to these trade barriers. Swinney emphasized the need for dialogue, stating, “We’re seeing less Scotch whisky going into the market and we’re seeing damage done to the industry.”
Angus Robertson, Swinney’s counterpart External Affairs Secretary in Scotland, pointed out the close ties between Scotch and the US bourbon industry. He pointed to what seems to be a pretty strong appetite in Washington to negotiate exemptions from these whisky tariffs.
“Making tariff decisions that would impact negatively on bourbon will impact negatively on Scotch and it doesn’t need to be that way,” – Graeme Littlejohn
Swinney’s meetings are loud and outlandish enough to turn heads. It’s not clear whether he will host additional talks with Donald Trump during his two-day visit. Robertson didn’t announce any future meetings with Trump. Neither could he clear up questions about Swinney’s ease with resting with Lord Mandelson, not minimum due to the fact reports linking Mandelson to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
“That means less trade to not only those cask manufacturers – those cooperages – but also to wholesale distribution and hospitality across the United States. Getting the tariffs back down to zero for Scotch whisky would obviously benefit Scotland and the industry directly, but it would also be a good thing for the US industry and for the US economy.” – John Swinney
The previous administration of the former president also let it be known that they were prepared to help steer trade deals that benefited UK and US companies alike. Under Donald Trump’s second term, many hoped to see $1.2 billion in old bourbon casks–to be aged into fine scotch–sailing over to Scotland. This change would further enshrine the link between the Kentucky bourbon and Scotch whisky trades.
Swinney swims upstream against the deep discussions in Washington with great resolve. He ensures that eye of the tiger never strays, fighting tooth-and-nail for Scotland’s most favourite industry.