Truss seeks meeting with US trade representative to discuss tariffs on Scottish whisky

British trade minister Liz Truss said on Thursday she was seeking an early meeting with who will be the new US trade representative after Joe Biden is sworn in as President, Katherine Tai, to discuss dropping tariffs on Scottish whisky.

Truss said her department was working hard to solve a disagreement between the European Union and the US over state subsidies provided to civil aviation firms Boeing and Airbus which led to billions of dollars worth of reciprocal tariffs being imposed on American and European products.

Scotch whisky was included among these products.

“I have been clear with the United States and the European Union that we want to de-escalate this dispute and reach a negotiated settlement - this dispute has already been going on for 16 years and has caused much damage,” Truss told parliament.

“I am seeking an early meeting with the new US trade representative Katherine Tai and this will be one of the items on my agenda.”

In December, Britain said that as it had left the EU, it would diverge from the bloc’s common trade policy and could suspend tariffs regarding the aircraft dispute unilaterally.