First minister says there is ‘window of opportunity’ as he holds talks with US president at Aberdeenshire golf resort
Scotland’s first minister has urged Donald Trump to exempt scotch whisky from 10% tariffs as the leaders met before a lavish opening ceremony for a second golf course at the US president’s Aberdeenshire resort.
John Swinney said he believed there was “a window of opportunity” to look at the specific tariff, which is believed to be costing the scotch whisky industry £4m a week.
Despite backing Trump’s rival Kamala Harris in last year’s US elections, Swinney enjoyed significant access to the president during his five-day visit to Scotland.
The pair are understood to have sat together at a dinner hosted by the president at the Trump International Resort on the Menie Estate on Monday evening, where they spoke together for about an hour.
