United States president Donald Trump said he would remove tariffs and restrictions affecting whisky trade, including Scotch whisky, after a state visit to the US by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
BBC News reported that Trump framed the decision as a gesture in honour of the King and Queen, who had just completed a four-day visit hosted by the president. Their itinerary included stops in Washington DC, New York and Virginia before they departed on Thursday. Trump said the royal visit had prompted him to act on an issue involving Scotland and Kentucky, two places tied to whisky and bourbon production.
According to the report, the UK government confirmed that the move applies to all whisky tariffs, including Irish whiskey. Trump also said he was lifting restrictions linked to Scotland’s ability to work with Kentucky on whisky and bourbon. He referred to commercial connections between the two industries, including the use of wooden barrels. The Scotch industry has been a major buyer of used bourbon barrels from Kentucky, importing about £200m worth each year.
The decision followed lobbying by both the Scottish and UK governments, which had sought a cut or removal of the 10% tariff rate. The tariff, introduced under the Trump administration, added 10% to importers’ costs and affected sales in the United States, Scotland’s largest export market for whisky. American tariffs on single malts had been suspended four years earlier but were due to return in the spring with a further 25% charge if no agreement was reached.
Industry figures welcomed the announcement. Graeme Littlejohn, director of strategy for the Scotch Whisky Association, told BBC Scotland News the sector had been losing about £4m a week in exports to the United States, amounting to £150m over the previous year while tariffs were in place. He said the lifting of the tariffs would allow distillers to feel relief after months of pressure, and he credited senior-level negotiations over an extended period.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney described the move as tremendous news for Scotland and thanked the King for what he called a key role. He said millions of pounds had been lost each month from the Scottish economy. UK business and trade secretary Peter Kyle also welcomed the announcement, saying the Scotch whisky industry was worth almost £1bn in exports and supported thousands of jobs across the UK.
Buckingham Palace responded by saying the King had sent sincere gratitude to Trump and would raise a dram to the president’s thoughtfulness. Trump, in remarks reported by the BBC, said he had taken the restrictions off so Scotland and Kentucky could resume dealing, and said he had done so in honour of the King and Queen.
