A TRADE war involving “destructive tariffs” on Scotch whisky are a “punishment” for the actions of EU businesses, a Tory MSP has claimed.

US authorities have imposed 25 per cent tariffs on single malt Scotch whisky – as well as other goods including cheese and cashmere over a separate aviation dispute with the EU.

The whisky industry has lost £30 million a month since the 25 per cent tariffs were imposed by Donald Trump in 2018.

The Scottish Government’s Rural Economy Secretary, Fergus Ewing, told MSPs that the "destructive tariffs" are “completely at odds with the so-called special relationship with the UK and the USA” - warning that “too many businesses continue to be hit hard” by the tariffs.

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He added: “We are clear the UK Government should use its trade powers to get these destructive tariffs lifted before any agreement is reached in the UK-US trade deal – they can’t and shouldn’t be used as a bargaining chip.”

Scottish Conservative MSP, Oliver Mundell, stressed he was “slightly concerned that the picture on tariffs was being presented as if it was some problem between the UK and the US”.

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He added: “These were EU wide tariffs that resulted in difficulties between the EU and the US. There has already been some welcome progress, for example, on shortbread.

“It’s one of the examples where being part of the EU doesn’t always deliver for Scotland.

“Those tariffs came about as a result of our EU membership and were a punishment for the behavior of other companies and other industries within the EU. I hope, like on shortbread, we will see significant progress where the UK is able to take control of its own trade policy.”

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But Mr Ewing said the tariffs have been “quite disastrous for Scotland’s food and drink sector”.

He added: “If there were this so-called special relationship between the UK and the US, why on earth would the US have unilaterally imposed on a sector that has nothing to do with the dispute in relation to the EU and the US?

“Why, if that special relationship exists, how come we’ve got the tariffs?”