Stateside tariffs cost Scottish distillers £500m in lost exports
Trump administration tariffs have cost the Scottish whiskey industry half a billion pounds.
New figures show that tariffs imposed during Donald Trump’s presidency have cost the Scottish whiskey industry millions of pounds and pressure is now mounting for the UK government to reach a deal with President Biden, reports the Herald.
Many in the industry fear that an irrevocable loss of market share could result if the damaging tariffs are not ended. Import duty is especially detrimental to smaller distillers as it makes their whiskey significantly less competitive in the US market.
The Scottish Whiskey Association (SWA) has called upon Westminster to reach a bilateral agreement with the Biden administration as exports have dropped by 35%, blaming a trade dispute centred on aerospace subsidies.
Kern Betts, chief executive of the SWA said: “The current situation is unsustainable… It’s very hard for Scotch whisky producers to understand why the UK Government is so unwilling to address the UK violations of WTO rules on aerospace subsidies at the root of the tariffs. Distillers are suffering terrible losses and still the Government, after 16 years of unsuccessful litigation, is unprepared to take the necessary steps to ensure subsidies comply with the UK’s international obligations.”
