Scotland's first minister is leading efforts to persuade President-elect Donald Trump to exclude Scottish whiskey from plans to gradually increase import duties into the United States.
John Swinney, head of Scotland's devolved government, pressed Trump on the importance of whiskey's economic and cultural status during a “warm and friendly” 20-minute phone call between the two on Monday.
The president-elect repeatedly referred to his close family and business ties to Scotland. Trump owns two heavily indebted golf courses in Scotland, and his mother was born on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides, a connection the president-elect has repeatedly mentioned.
Scotland's whiskey industry has seen its lucrative trade with the United States, worth more than $1 billion a year, once again be significantly affected by President Trump's proposed new tariffs on all imports and the resumption of the trade war after he took office. I am worried that I will be hit hard.
To the annoyance of Trump's Scottish allies, Siwiny, who supported Kamala Harris in the presidential race, said shortly after Trump's election that he was “very concerned” about the threat of new tariffs on Scottish whisky. ” he said.
Trump did not mention tariffs in his phone call, but emphasized the mutually beneficial role of cultural and trade ties between the two countries. Swinney mentioned whiskey twice. President Trump agreed that Scottish whiskey is great.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “They discussed the social, cultural and economic links between Scotland and the US, including the importance of the US market for Scottish exports.”
“The first minister said he looks forward to the two countries continuing to work together.”
Producers have urged Trump not to reintroduce 25% tariffs imposed on Scotch from October 2019 to March 2021 in a long-running trade dispute with the EU over state aid to aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. requested the president.
The Scotch Whiskey Association estimates the dispute, in which the EU imposed retaliatory tariffs on American products such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles, has cost the country at least 600 million pounds ($765 million) in lost sales. Tariffs have been suspended for five years but are scheduled to resume in 2026 unless President Trump intervenes.
President Trump has also proposed imposing a flat tariff on almost all foreign imports, citing a figure of 10% or 20%. Scotch producers are concerned about the vulnerability of the US market, with exports to the US down 8.5% since 2019 due to rising costs of living and intense competition in the spirits market.
US worth $1.2 billion Scottish whiskey Last year we focused primarily on high value single malts. The United States has historically been the largest market for Scotch by value, but it also has a close and mutually beneficial relationship with the bourbon industry.
Scottish distilleries buy around $300 million worth of bourbon barrels each year, giving bourbon producers an additional source of income, but some well-known distilleries are American-owned.
U.S.-based beverage giant Suntory owns Laphroaig, Bowmore, Ardmore single malt and Teacher's Blended Whiskey, and Kentucky-based Brown-Forman Corporation owns Benriach Distillery, among others. .
SWA has teamed up with the Distilled Spirits Council, the Kentucky Distilled Spirits Association and whiskey distributors to repeatedly lobby U.S. lawmakers this year, including meeting with members of Congress in late November after Trump's election victory. We are strengthening our activities.
“President Trump has not yet taken office and the industry looks forward to working together to build trade links that create jobs and investment in the United States,” an SWA spokesperson said.
“We fully support the UK Government's early engagement with the incoming US administration, highlighting the investment the Scotch whiskey industry already brings to the US economy and the added value it brings to the US hospitality industry. Masu.”
