Donald Trump promises to 'look' at whisky tariffs for Scotland after calls for better deal
President Trump has promised a review of tariffs on whisky ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Trump said he would 'look' at the 10% import levies as he said he wanted to make Starmer 'happy'.
He made the comments on the steps of the Tunberry golf course he owns, with the PM and his wife standing next to him.
The President is on the third day of a five day trip to Scotland.
Trump has slapped a 10% tariff on UK exports into the US and whisky producers say the policy is hitting them hard.
Asked by a reporter if there is a better deal to be had on whisky, Trump replied:
'Whisky? Well we'll talk about that. I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker.'
He added: 'Well, we're going to take a look at it.'
Trump and Starmer will travel to Aberdeenshire where the President will visit his second golf club.
He will have dinner with John Swinney this evening and the First Minister is expected to push him on whisky tariffs.
The First Minister told the BBC tariffs are currently costing the local whisky industry £4 million a week.
'Tariffs are very important for the Scottish economy and obviously scotch whisky is a unique product,' said.
'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.'
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