The Scottish secretary, Douglas Alexander, on Friday accused First Minister John Swinney of "political point scoring" after Mr Swinney held a press conference in Edinburgh following a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, where he said there was a "real chance" of cutting US tariffs on Scotch whisky.
Mr Swinney met Mr Trump and former EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson in the Oval Office on Tuesday and told reporters at Bute House thereafter that he had helped put whisky "top of the list" ahead of the state visit scheduled for next week. The Scotch whisky industry has said the 10% import tariff costs producers about £4 million a week.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Mr Alexander said the UK government had already prioritised whisky in ongoing talks with the United States and warned that public disagreement risked weakening negotiating leverage. "With President Trump’s state visit just days away, we all need to put Scotland’s economy first — not political point scoring," he said. He added: "Donald Trump doesn’t give gifts, Donald Trump does deals."
Alexander said UK ministers and negotiators had been engaged in "intense discussions" following a trade deal the government signed with the U.S. earlier this year and that UK Trade Secretary Peter Kyle was "on the ground in Washington on Monday" as part of the high-level talks. He said the Scotch whisky industry was "very high up that list, if not at the very top of that list," and said ministers were working to secure tariff reductions both before and after the state visit.
"It's simply nonsense to suggest otherwise," Alexander said of suggestions that the UK had not already placed whisky on the agenda, pointing to other deals negotiated by ministers. He also highlighted a recent UK trade agreement with India that, he said, cut duties on whisky from about 150% to 75% and then to 40%, describing that change as transformative for exports.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said the first minister was "unreservedly focused on securing a zero tariff for Scotch whisky." Mr Swinney told reporters after the White House meeting that he had raised the issue directly with Mr Trump and that the discussion had created a "real chance" of lowering the 10% tariff on spirits.
Industry groups have urged swift action. Scotch whisky producers say tariffs harm jobs and exports, and they have pressed both UK and Scottish ministers to secure tariff relief that would ease pressure on manufacturers and supply chains across Scotland.
The exchange highlights tensions between devolved and UK officials as they seek to present a united position to the United States ahead of the state visit. Mr Alexander said public divisions at home would make the UK "less influential abroad" and risked harming the prospects of the whisky sector.
The government in London said negotiations would continue in the run-up to the state visit and, if necessary, beyond it. Officials declined to provide further detail on the timetable for any tariff adjustments or the precise negotiating positions of the parties involved.
The White House and the US Trade Representative’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The timeline of talks means ministers from both governments are expected to press the issue as President Trump visits the UK next week, where the tariff on Scotch remains a central point of contention for Scottish exporters and trade negotiators alike.