John Swinney flew to Washington D.C. on Monday to press for a better deal on Scotch Whisky tariffs with the US.

The current tariffs are costing £4 million per week.

With just over a week to go before President Trump’s second State Visit to the UK, the First Minister is joined on the trip by a delegation from the Scotch Whisky Association. They plan to jointly engage with representatives of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) to advocate for a better deal including, ideally, zero-for-zero tariffs on spirits as part of the ongoing UK-USA trade negotiations.

The trip is said to directly support The Scottish Government’s key priority to grow the economy with Scotland’s whisky industry employing more than 20,000 workers, many in rural areas.

The First Minister said:

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