The UK will on Monday (25 April) host the second transatlantic trade dialogue in Aberdeen aimed at boosting our £200 billion trade partnership with the US
Against a backdrop of Aberdeen’s flourishing tech scene and world-leading energy sector, the dialogue will focus on agreed priority areas including digital and innovation, green trade, supporting SMEs and supply chain resilience.
Latest figures show the importance of transatlantic trade to Scottish workers, businesses and industry:
The Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan will discuss the importance of trade for creating jobs and spreading economic opportunities throughout the UK – a key part of our levelling up agenda.
The dialogue will convene leaders from across Scottish, central and local government, a wide range of businesses as well as trade unions and civil society groups such as Trades Union Congress.
International Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said:
The Trade Secretary met with leaders on Sunday evening (24 April) from Scotland’s food and drink industry including Walker’s shortbread and Clootie McToot.
Attendees also included US spirits company Brown-Forman which owns three of Scotland’s top distilleries GlenDronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh and employs hundreds of people in the UK. The firm hailed the lifting of tariffs on US whiskey thanks to the recent resolution of the S232 steel and aluminium tariffs dispute, and revealed it is now planning a multi-million pound investment in its Scottish facilities .
Ahead of the dialogue, Trevelyan and Tai will visit offshore energy SME, Enpro-Subsea in Aberdeen where Trevelyan will highlight the UK’s energy strategy aimed at securing energy security and independence, while we support the transition from fossil fuels to new technologies. The company demonstrates that achieving our environmental goals must go hand-in-hand with an evolving North Sea industry.
Discussions at the dialogue will provide a solid foundation for further engagement with the US. This includes ongoing work at a state-level such as mutual recognition of qualifications as well as continuing to remove barriers to trade.
The Government has already helped lift the ban on UK exports of lamb and beef and resolved the Large Civil Aircraft dispute, which removed 25 percent tariffs on Scotch whisky, resulting in huge wins for Scottish producers and exporters.
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said:
Shevaun Haviland, Director-General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
Allan Hogarth, Executive Director of the Scottish North American Business Council (SNABC) said:
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