US Tariffs: Scotch Whisky Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for International Trade
Ross Thomson
Main Page: Ross Thomson (Conservative - Aberdeen South)Department Debates - View all Ross Thomson's debates with the Department for International Trade
US Tariffs: Scotch Whisky
Ross Thomson Excerpts(5 years, 2 months ago)
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Conor Burns
The hon. Gentleman makes a powerful point, and he makes it well, and he is correct.
Ross Thomson (Aberdeen South) (Con)
I warmly welcome my good friend to the Dispatch Box—he is doing a great job—and if he wants to visit Aberdeen on his way up to Moray, he will be more than welcome. Can he give a commitment that in future trade talks with the US his Department will prioritise the export market for the great iconic Scottish whisky industry, and does he agree that as we leave the EU we have the opportunity to open up new and growing markets, such as India and Taiwan?
Conor Burns
I entirely agree with my hon. Friend, who serves his constituents in Aberdeen so effectively. Absolutely, that will be the case when we start our discussions and negotiations with the United States. I chaired a trade discussion with the Taiwanese last week, before I went to Vietnam, and I was struck by how incredibly interested they were in growing the sector. Asia is a massive growth market for Scottish whisky. We are also determined to seek to remove some of the tariff and non-tariff barriers to other markets in the Asian region.