American tariffs on Scottish shortbread have been lifted after Washington yesterday abandoned duties on Greek cheese and British biscuits. However, it imposed levies on French and German jams in a protracted dispute with Brussels over state support for the aerospace industry. Tariffs on single-malt Scotch, which have cut whisky exports to the United States by as much as 65 per cent since their introduction last October, remain in place. Last month, the Trump administration backed away from a threat to intensify its assault on UK spirits, prompting relief in Whitehall. Officials shelved a plan to hit gin with duties and to extend the malt whisky levy to cover blended varieties after Liz Truss, the trade secretary, warned that it risked derailing negotiations over a

Source: The Times September 01, 2020 23:03 UTC