DONALD Trump has showed a “willingness” to move on tariffs for Scotch whisky, John Swinney said.
The president met Scotland’s First Minister on Monday evening at a private dinner, and the two had a more formal meeting on Tuesday ahead of the opening of a second course at his Aberdeenshire golf club.
This meeting is understood to have focused on Scotch whisky tariffs and the situation in Gaza.
Swinney said he pressed Trump on the 10% levy on Scotland’s national drink.
The tariff, it is believed, costs the sector £4 million per week, with distillery bosses keen to reach an agreement as part of the US-UK trade deal.
Speaking to the press after the opening of the course, the First Minister said: “I think there’s a willingness for President Trump to look at the issues that I’ve set out to him.
“I don’t think that was the position a few days ago, because I think President Trump was of the view that the trade deal was done and dusted and that was an end of the matter.”
Swinney told Trump Scotch whisky was “unique” to Scotland and the tariff was a “significant impediment”.
“I think there is an opportunity for us to make progress,” he added.
“I wouldn’t have expected to be able to get an outcome in the course of the discussion I had yesterday and this morning with President Trump, but we will follow this up with the US administration, follow up with the United Kingdom Government, to make the progress that I think Scotland would expect on this matter.”
The SNP leader also said the president made his views on new oil and gas licences clear during their dinner on Monday but did not actively press him to back fresh drilling in the North Sea.
Swinney said he was aware of Trump’s posts on his social media platform urging the UK to lower taxes and drill.
On the last day of his five-day visit to Scotland, the American leader posted: “North Sea Oil is a treasure chest for the United Kingdom.
“The taxes are so high, however, that it makes no sense.
“They have essentially told drillers and oil companies that, ‘we don’t want you’.
“Incentivize the drillers, fast. A vast fortune to be made for the UK, and far lower energy costs for the people!”
Asked if the President pressed Swinney to back new oil and gas licenses during the two-hour event, the First Minister said: “He didn’t. He didn’t press me to do that.
“He obviously expressed his view that there should be more oil and gas activity undertaken and I’ve seen material from the President this morning which raises issues about taxation, which of course, is not under my control.
“I don’t have any influence over North Sea oil and gas taxation.
“Obviously the President made clear his view that he is not a supporter of wind turbines and I expressed the view that we have about our energy priorities on renewable energy.”
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the president said: “This has been an unbelievable development.
“The land, they said it couldn’t get zoned, it was an impossibility.
“And Sean Connery said ‘let the bloody bloke build his golf course’.
“Once he said that everything came into line. John (Swinney) and I were talking about that last night.”
Trump will head back to the US later on Tuesday on Air Force One, as his Scottish visit comes to a close.
The president was asked about whisky tariffs by journalists at his Ayrshire golf course on Monday, where he appeared not to know there was an issue.
“We’ll talk about that, I didn’t know whisky was a problem,” Trump said.
“I’m not a big whisky drinker but maybe I should be.”
