John Swinney makes 'damaging' US tariff commitment ahead of New York Tartan Week visit

First Minister John Swinney is heading to New York where he says he will take every opportunity he can to discuss US trade tariffs

John Swinney says calls to avoid tariffs on Scottish exports to the US will be “part and parcel” of his discussions when he jets off to New York later this week.

The First Minister will be in the Big Apple for the annual Tartan Week celebrations, and said he would take every opportunity he could to discuss the prospect of tariffs on products like Scotch whisky and salmon.

The commitment comes as US President Donald Trump is expected to slap import taxes on all countries on Wednesday, in what he is calling America’s “Liberation Day”.

Mr Swinney made the comments on Monday while opening the new Destiny Bridge, which connects the A9 with the A93 and A94 over the River Tay in his Perthshire North constituency.

First Minister John Swinney opens Destiny Bridge | Fraser Band

He said: “I’ve made very clear our concerns about tariffs, and I will be using the opportunity of being in the United States to promote a range of Scottish products and businesses, including Scottish whisky. That will be part and parcel of our discussions.”

The First Minister added: “I want to make sure that we use every opportunity to avoid the presence and the effects of tariffs affecting Scottish products. They are damaging to trade and we thrive on trade, so every opportunity will be used to do exactly that.”

The Scotch Whisky Association has welcomed Mr Swinney’s comments, and said: “We fully support the First Minister’s efforts to highlight the investment the Scotch whisky industry already brings to the US economy and the value it adds to the US hospitality sector.”

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Stock markets fell on Monday across Asia and Europe after Mr Trump suggested he would be announcing new import tariffs on all countries later this week.

These new tariffs would be on top of the existing penalties the US president has already imposed on aluminium, steel and vehicles, while he has separately increased levies on all goods from China.

When asked by journalists on Air Force One about tariffs, Mr Trump said: “You’d start with all countries - essentially all of the countries that we’re talking about.”

The UK is still locked in talks with the US on exemptions. Over the weekend, Downing Street said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had “productive negotiations” with Mr Trump in a phone call.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump | Carl Court/Press Association

However, on Saturday UK government sources said the UK would not hesitate to impose its own tariffs on the US if needed. Others, including European Union countries, have already prepared retaliatory trade measures.

This includes tariffs on US goods to the EU worth €26 billion (£22bn), including American alcohol, steel and aluminium products, from April 13.

Since being sworn in as president in January, Mr Trump has announced several tariffs on imported goods in a bid to encourage Americans to “buy American” and US companies to “build American”.

Earlier this year the Federation of Small Businesses warned artisan food and drink makers, small distillers and craft bakers in Scotland could be hit the hardest by US tariffs, and that any additional levies could even kill off some exports to the US entirely.

Downing Street said while it was prepared to introduce tariffs on the US, a trade war was not in anyone’s interests.

A spokesman said: “When it comes to tariffs, the Prime Minister has been clear he will always act in the national interest and we’ve been preparing for all eventualities ahead of the announcement from President Trump, which we would expect the UK to be impacted by alongside other countries.

“We are having constructive discussions on a US-UK economic prosperity deal, but we will only do a deal which delivers economic prosperity for the British people and we will only act in the national interest.”

The spokesman added: “We rule nothing out in response.”