Donald Trump says he 'wants to see Scotland thrive' during visit
Donald Trump has said he wants to see Scotland 'thrive' during his visit to the country.
The US President – whose mother was born in the Outer Hebrides – spoke of his 'love' for the country during a visit to his golf course in Ayrshire.
Flanked by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the 79-year-old was asked if changes could be made to the UK-US trade deal, which would benefit Scotland.
He said: 'I have great love for Scotland.' Speaking of his mother, the President said she would 'religiously' return home every year.
He jokingly added: 'When we do our trade deal, a lot of it comes to Scotland, maybe all of it should go to Scotland.'
He continued: 'We deal with the UK, but a lot of it comes to Scotland. I was very particular, because this is a part of the world I want to see thrive.'
Despite the trade deal agreed between the two countries, a 10% tariff remains on Scotch whisky, one of the country's biggest exports.
Asked earlier if that tariff could be dropped or eliminated as a result of the meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Trump said: 'We'll talk about that, I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker, but maybe I should be.'
Scottish First Minister John Swinney is expected to raise the issue when he meets the President during his visit to his second course in Aberdeenshire before he returns to the US.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
'Tariffs are very important for the Scottish economy and obviously Scotch whisky is a unique product,' he told BBC Breakfast on Monday.
'It can only be produced in Scotland. It's not a product that can be produced in any other part of the world. So there's a uniqueness about that, which I think means there is a case for it to be taken out of the tariffs arrangement that is now in place.
'Obviously, the trade deal with the United States provides a degree of stability for economic connections with the United States, but the application of tariffs is increasing the costs for the Scotch whisky industry.
'So one of my objectives will be to make the case to President Trump that Scotch whisky should be exempted from those tariffs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
7 minutes ago
- Reuters
Equities dip as earnings weigh; Fed statement on deck
NEW YORK, July 29 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq retreated from record highs on Tuesday as some corporate earnings disappointed, as investors waded through the latest round of economic data ahead of a Federal Reserve policy statement. A host of Dow components reported earnings, with UnitedHealth (UNH.N), opens new tab, Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab and Merck (MRK.N), opens new tab all trading lower after their quarterly results. Health insurer UnitedHealth fell 5.2% as the biggest drag on the Dow after a disappointing profit forecast, while Boeing lost 3.7% despite reporting a smaller second-quarter loss. Merck shed 2.6% after the drugmaker reported its quarterly results and said it was extending its pause on shipments of HPV vaccine Gardasil to China until at least the end of 2025 due to persistent weakness in demand. "Earnings have been a bit of a mix. Economic data has been somewhat mixed too, but not enough to move the needle in terms of the Fed," said Tim Ghriskey, senior portfolio strategist at Ingalls & Snyder in New York. "The next two days, you have Microsoft, Meta, Apple, Amazon - those are big companies, and they will move markets depending on how the earnings are and how the outlooks are." Earnings from megacaps Meta (META.O), opens new tab, Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab, Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab and Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab are scheduled later this week and are likely to have a strong impact on market direction. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), opens new tab fell 228.54 points, or 0.51%, to 44,608.93, the S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab lost 17.15 points, or 0.27%, to 6,372.62 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), opens new tab lost 51.25 points, or 0.24%, to 21,127.34. United Parcel Service (UPS.N), opens new tab shares plunged 9.3% as the package delivery company posted earnings and again declined to issue annual revenue and margin forecasts, deepening concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump's continually changing trade policy is weighing on the company. The Dow Jones Transport average (.DJT), opens new tab fell 2.2% and was on track for its biggest daily percentage decline since late May. Likewise, Whirlpool (WHR.N), opens new tab plummeted more than 12% after the home appliances maker slashed its annual earnings forecast and dividend, as the appliance maker cited pressure from a pull-forward in imports by rivals ahead of Trump's tariffs. With nearly 200 S&P 500 components having reported earnings, 79.7% have topped analyst expectations, according to LSEG data, compared with a 6.3% beat rate over the last four quarters. On the economic front, consumer confidence in July increased more than expected to 97.2. In June, U.S. job openings and hiring, or JOLTS data, had decreased, pointing to a further slowdown in labor market activity. The JOLTS report was the first in a string of data on the labor market this week, culminating in Friday's government payrolls report. The Fed is expected to leave rates unchanged at its policy announcement on Wednesday and traders will closely analyze remarks by Fed Chair Jerome Powell to gauge the timing of any potential rate cuts. The S&P had notched a sixth straight closing record high on Monday, after a U.S.-EU trade deal that halved tariffs to 15% and boosted expectations of more agreements ahead of Trump's August 1 deadline. Trump has also floated a potential "world tariff" of 15% to 20% for non-negotiating countries. Key negotiations between the U.S. and China completed their second day in Stockholm as the world's two leading economies aim to resolve their trade conflict, with Trump saying he was told by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that he had a very good meeting with Chinese officials. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.02-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.98-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted 32 new 52-week highs and nine new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 71 new highs and 67 new lows.
Reuters
9 minutes ago
- Reuters
Foreign oil companies in Venezuela await US authorizations, sources say
HOUSTON, July 29 (Reuters) - About a half dozen foreign partners of Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA are awaiting authorizations from the U.S. Treasury and State departments, following talks last week about fresh licenses to allow them to operate in the sanctioned South American country, according to six company sources. The companies' licenses, including a key one for U.S. oil major Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab, were revoked by President Donald Trump's administration in March over the Venezuelan government's response to migration issues and what Trump said was its lack of progress toward restoring democracy. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said last week that Chevron had informed his government about a fresh authorization to come, and PDVSA began preparations to allocate oil cargoes to its joint-venture partners in coming months, once authorized. But companies including Chevron, Italy's Eni ( opens new tab, Spain's Repsol ( opens new tab, France's Maurel & Prom ( opens new tab and India's Reliance Industries ( opens new tab are still waiting for the licenses, the sources said. Most of the companies are minority stakeholders in key oil and gas projects with PDVSA, while others including Reliance are among Venezuela's largest buyers of oil. In the first quarter this year, before their licenses were canceled, they were responsible for about 40% of the country's total 881,000 barrels per day of exports. Some firms have informed staff and contractors in Venezuela about permits to come, without elaborating on dates or terms, according to two of the sources. Chevron declined to comment specifically on the licenses. The company said it conducts its business globally in compliance with laws and regulations, as well as the U.S. sanctions framework. A spokesperson for Maurel & Prom told Reuters in an email on Tuesday that the firm has not received any license yet. Eni, Repsol, Reliance and PDVSA did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday the U.S. remained firm in its "unwavering support to Venezuela's restoration of democratic order and justice." Rubio had in May blocked a move by U.S. special envoy Richard Grenell to extend the period in which the previous authorizations for oil operations were allowed to wind down. He did not refer to the oil authorizations in Sunday's release. The Treasury Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the licenses. A State Department spokesperson said they would not comment about any specific licenses, but the U.S. government would not allow Maduro's administration to profit from the sale of oil. Chevron has not yet instructed tankers' owners or captains to go to Venezuelan waters for an eventual resumption of oil cargoes, while PDVSA's loading schedules do not show any supplies to its joint-venture partners for July, according to shipping documents and sources.
Channel 4
9 minutes ago
- Channel 4
UK to recognise Palestinian state unless Israel agrees Gaza ceasefire
Israel has hit back at moves by the UK government towards recognising a Palestinian state claiming it harmed efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and get the hostages released. Amid dire warnings from international agencies of a 'worst case scenario of famine' already happening in Gaza Sir Keir Starmer said his decision had been driven by the 'intolerable' situation. Gaza's health ministry says more than 60,000 people have now lost their lives in 21 months of war.
