Overview
- John Swinney held a one-hour meeting with US Ambassador Warren Stephens at Bute House on Saturday before attending a whisky event and the Scotland v USA rugby match.
- The First Minister urged a reduction or removal of the tariff, saying it hurts both Scotch whisky and Kentucky bourbon producers.
- Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said he raised the tariffs with the ambassador on Friday and that both sides want negotiations to move quickly.
- Alexander stressed that trade negotiations are a UK Government competence and called for a single UK position, while criticising Swinney for prioritising US talks over domestic issues such as a reported £1 billion underspend.
- UK officials said negotiators will travel to Washington next week to seek improved terms for whisky, with no exemption or rollback announced so far.