Impact of US tariffs being felt in Scotland

Trade minister Ivan Mckee has warned of the damaging impact US trade tariffs on Scottish products being introduced today could have on the economy.

Speaking at the Scottish Parliament, he said tariffs of 25% on goods including whisky, biscuits and woollen and cashmere products will have a direct impact on businesses.

He added: “Trade disputes may seem far removed from most people’s day-to-day lives, but the impact of these tariffs on Scottish businesses and potential on people’s jobs is immediate and real.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Dean Lockhart said Scotch whisky and other vital sectors had become collateral damage in a much wider US-EU trade dispute.

He said: “The only reason Scotch whisky and other sectors are being hit with US tariffs is because we are still members of the EU.”

He continued: “The reality is that after Brexit, we will be free to negotiate our own free trade agreements with the rest of the world. We can then prioritise the interests of Scotland’s whisky, fishing, agricultural and other vital sectors.”

Rhoda Grant, Labour’s finance spokeswoman, said: “(The US) have shown that they’re not reasonable and our economy will be at their whim if we become too dependent on that trade.

“Therefore, should Brexit happen, we need to retain very close relationships with the EU.”

Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles said: “Despite the current US president’s warm words about Brexit, his actions, aggressive nationalism and protectionism tell a completely different story.

“His values are not the values that we share. Everyone loses from escalating trade wars.

“Are we about to do a great and beneficial trade deal with Mr Trump? I think not. These trade tariffs will be a bitter blow to our rural economy and a bitter blow to jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.”

The US has imposed a 25% tariff on whisky.