Trump showed ‘willingness’ to move on whisky tariffs during meeting – Swinney

US President Donald Trump has showed a “willingness” to move on tariffs for Scotch whisky, John Swinney said.

Scotland’s First Minister met the President ahead of the opening of a second course at his Aberdeenshire golf club, where he pressed him 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.

US President Donald Trump after hitting a ball off the first tee to officially open the New Course, the second championship course at Trump International Golf Links, on the Menie Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Wire)

Speaking to the PA news agency 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.”

Mr Swinney told Mr 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 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,” Mr Trump said.

“I’m not a big whisky drinker but maybe I should be.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said that the Prime Minister will not need much pressure to push the President on whisky tariffs.

“The great thing is, here, this is not a matter of putting pressure on the Prime Minister, because the Prime Minister already agrees and the Prime Minister recognises that we want to go even further on the deal we’ve already negotiated.

“It’s a good deal for Scotland and the UK, but we want to go even further – and that’s the conversations that continue.”