Trump to lift tariffs on scotch whisky after king’s US visit | Trump tariffs
Making a gesture of diplomatic friendship after King Charles’s visit to the White House, Donald Trump said that the USA would remove all customs duties on whiskey imports.
“In honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom who have just left the White House and returned to their great country, I will lift the Whiskey Tariffs and Restrictions on Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon,” Trump said in a post on social media.
The US and Britain signed a deal that allows Washington to impose a basic 10% tariff on imports of most British goods in 2025.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: “The King and Queen made me do something no one else could do, without even asking!”
The president called whiskey and bourbon “two very important industries in Scotland and Kentucky.”
He wrote: “People have wanted to do this for a long time, because there was a large trade in Inter-Country Trade, especially in the Wooden Barrels used.”
The whiskey market has been negatively affected by increasing taxes and decreasing rates of alcohol consumption. The Scotch Whiskey Association (SWA) estimates the costs are costing the industry £4 million a week.
Last year, Diageo, the parent company of alcoholic beverage brands such as Johnnie Walker, Talisker and Lagavulin, announced that it would reduce production at some distilleries to balance low demand.
SWA on Thursday called the deal “a significant boost” for the sector.
“Distilleries can breathe a little easier at a time when there is significant pressure on the industry,” SWA said.
Although British prime minister Keir Starmer was able to negotiate a trade deal with Trump last May, the US left its basic 10% tariff on most products, including whiskey, at a lower rate than the 27.5% rate Trump had originally announced.
The news came following a state visit by King Charles. Charles was warmly welcomed by the White House and Congress as he made a veiled appeal for Trump to return to traditional alliances.
“America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more,” Charles said in a speech before Congress, calling the relationship between the United States and Britain “truly unique.”
