Whirlwind Washington visit gives whisky tariffs deal a 'real chance' claims Swinney

In a hastily arranged press conference after he landed back in Scotland, Mr Swinney said it was now up to the UK Government to get a "zero-for-zero" whisky tariff agreement "over the line".

John Swinney flew out to Washington on Monday evening in a last-minute bid to talk to the President about tariffs.

As well as meeting with congressmen and industry bodies, including Kentucky bourbon representatives, he secured a vital meeting in the White House.

His visit came amid concerns from the sector about the impact of tariffs - currently levied at 10% on whisky exported from Scotland to America. The Scotch Whisky Association says it's costing the industry £4m a week in lost exports.

The US is the biggest Scotch export market, with about a fifth of all exports heading across the Atlantic. It was worth about £1bn in 2024 according to the SWA - and the industry body says tariffs also damage the US bourbon industry due to a £220m-a-year trade in used casks.

With President Trump due to arrive to the UK for a state visit next week, the First Minister said the coming days would be "critical" as politicians on both sides of the Atlantic seek to finalise a trade deal.

Industry sources told LBC the First Minister's visit had been very welcome and they believed the probability of a better deal had risen to around a "50-50 probability".

Mr Swinney said the US president had "listened carefully" to his arguments in what he said was a "very serious and a very substantial conversation".

Speaking at the press conference at his official residence, Bute House, in Edinburgh, he said: "We set out our case, set out the chance that we believe that exists for a better deal that benefits America and Scotland, and President Trump listened carefully to Scotland's case."

He added: "I want to be very clear, we did not conclude a deal - that work rests with the United Kingdom Government" but he said he had "worked hard to create a platform for the UK Government to negotiate and to deliver on Scotch whisky."

He insisted "a better deal for Scotch whisky was not previously on the agenda", adding that when the US president visited Scotland in July it had become clear that "the tariff on whisky was not on his radar".

The First Minister said that had changed.

Asked by LBC why he thought whisky had not been put on President Trump's agenda by the UK government's trade negotiators, Mr Swinney said: "On the issue of priorities, whisky wasn't high enough up the discussions, that's what it looks like to me.

"I think there were other issues that were the fulcrum of the discussions between the UK and US and my task over the summer was to get whisky on the radar and I succeeded in doing that with the visit of President Trump in July and I've been nurturing those discussions over the intervening period. The government has been active in trying to encourage more attention on this with UK negotiators and I think we've got to a position as a result of the visit I've just made that we're in a stronger position."

Asked what specifically the President has said to him to given him confidence a deal could be done, he replied: "Its not really appropriate for me to give a verbatim account of the conversation but I was suppoesd to be in the Oval Office for 30 minutes and I was in for 50 that perhaps gives an illustration we were having a very engaged, substantive discussion.

"He was asking a lot of questions about the proposition. He was familiar with the isssue I was raising about the impact on jobs in the US and he obviously comes to the dicussion with a deep affection for Scotland, so I was explaining to him the challenges the Isle of Harris distillery in particular has faced - there's been employment lost, despite it being a dynamic distillery and a great product but it's losing jobs because of the difficult market conditions.

"In the summer he asked me many questions abou the Western Isles, he was fascinated and one of the examples I put to him was then Isle of Harris distillery as an example of good developement and economic opportunities for young people and he was interested. But the consequences of tariffs makes that opportunity more difficult and I think President Trump took that argument very seriously."

Donald Trump's mother, Mary, was born in Tong on the Isle of Lewis - though the Isle of Harris is part of the same landmass, covering the lower third of the island.

Mr Swinney said his discussions with the President had centered on the trade between Scotch whisky distilleries and the Kentucky bourbon industry, with the latter selling caskets to the former for whisky maturation purposes.

He said in discussions with trade represenatives involved in transporting barrels from Kentucky to scotland they told him "they are already seeing orders cancelled by Scottish distillieries, so that has an economic effect on the US industry, and that's the point I made to the President. So this approach actually addresses the agenda he's concerned about - jobs and growth in America."

He said a deal where there were zero tariffs applied to both industries would be a "win-win".

But "the ball is firmly in the UK Government's court" he said and UK ministers "must press on with the detailed negotiations and try to get a deal over the line".

He added: "That said, I have to be realistic about our chances of getting this deal. US policy is pro tariffs, the president believes in tariffs, so nothing here is going to be easy, it never was. But I think and I hope there is now a real chance of a better deal.

"We've done the best we can to put this possibility in front of US decision-makers, including the ultimate US decision-maker. I think we have made progress for Scotland this week in the trip to the United States."

Graeme Littlejohn director of strategy at the Scotch Whisky Association told LBC: "The current 10 per cent tariff is costing the industry £4m a week in lost exports. The First Minister took a united message from Scottish and US whisky industries to the Oval Office to get a better deal which will not only benefit communities in Scotland but across the US as well.

"A zero for zero agreement for whisky across the Atlantic has been really scuccessful for our industries over the last three decades and we want that to continue in the decades ahead."

The Oval Office talks also covered the conflict in Gaza and Israel's air strikes in Qatar.

The UK's ambassador to the US, Lord Peter Mandelson, also accompanied Mr Swinney to the White House and the First Minsiter stayed at his official residence in Washington DC.

Mr Mandelson has come under scrutiny for his past friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He has said he "very much regrets ever having been introduced to Epstein".

When asked about working with Lord Mandelson, Mr Swinney said UK government had been "helpful" during his visit and that there had been "no issues" with the support given by the embassy.

Asked if he should remain as the UK ambassador to the US, he said that it was up to the prime minister to choose his ambassadors.