A SCOTTISH minister has warned the UK and Scotland are “vulnerable and exposed” outside the EU amid the threat of a global trade war.
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson told a Scottish Parliament committee on Thursday the UK must “urgently change course” and seek greater links with Europe or risk being “marooned with no safe harbour”.
US President Donald Trump has this month imposed a 25% tariff on global steel and aluminium imports with no country exempt from the levy.
The UK has so far no retaliated, but the EU is set to impose counter tariffs on $28 billion worth of goods starting on April 1.
The move from the US has prompted warnings of job losses in the already beleaguered UK steel industry, which counts the US as its second largest export market behind the European Union.
In his previous term in office, Trump slapped colossal tariffs on Scotch whisky sparking fears of further harm to Scotland's industries.
The SNP have previously said the UK must rejoin the EU single market and customs union to protect itself with Trump having become an “unreliable ally”.
Robertson reiterated the urgent need to forge closer ties with Europe when he gave evidence on the Trade and Co-operation Agreement to Holyrood’s Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Committee.
“The changed international and UK economic situation now demand in turn an urgent change of course by the UK Government,” he said.
“It is becoming clearer by the day that being outside the European Union in this more volatile world leaves the UK, and Scotland, in an exposed and vulnerable position.
“In these circumstances continuing with the disastrous UK self-imposed exclusion from the European Single Market and Customs Union makes zero sense.”
Earlier this week the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cut its predictions for UK growth to 1.4% in 2025 and 1.2% in 2026, down from 1.7% and 1.3% in its previous predictions.
A separate report from the Resolution Foundation warned that the UK labour market is "already in recession territory".
Robertson went on: “There are clear moves towards greater European Union economic autonomy.
“That means that in the midst of a possible global trade war the UK is running the risk of being marooned with no safe harbour. That cannot be in the interests of Scotland.”
Robertson stressed the need to rejoin the Erasmus+ programme to make it easier for young people to study in the EU and called for “greater worker mobility”, with the loss of this having a huge impact on touring artists.
“Rejoining the Erasmus+ programme will make it easier for our young people and students to study in the European Union and enhance their skills and qualifications,” he said.
“The Scottish Government will continue to press for improvements to arrangements for cooperation with the European Union – and to be clear, this means provisions that are much deeper and much wider-reaching.
“It is critical that we come to a comprehensive and generous mobility agreement as swiftly as possible, and seek to rejoin key European programmes in order to redress harms and restore to our businesses and individuals at least some of what they have lost through Brexit.”
Earlier this week, bosses at Tata Steel UK and British Steel said customers are taking steps to cancel orders after Trump slapped trade tariffs on US metals imports.
Tata’s UK chief executive Rajesh Nair told MPs: “The customers are spooked and the customers are wanting to go to other suppliers to make sure that they don’t get caught in the tariff warfare.”
He added that the damage to sales and profits could be “significant”.
