President Donald Trump announced the removal of all tariffs and restrictions on whisky imports, citing the state visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla to the United States. The decision lifts barriers on Scotland's whisky trade with Kentucky, and the UK government confirmed it applies to all whisky tariffs, including Irish whiskey.
Trump stated on Truth Social that the move was "in honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom," adding that the royal visit "got me to do something that nobody else was able to do." The King and Queen spent four days in the US, visiting Washington DC, New York, and Virginia.
Buckingham Palace responded that the King sent his "sincere gratitude" and "will be raising a dram to the President's thoughtfulness." Scotland's First Minister John Swinney called it "tremendous news for Scotland," noting that millions of pounds were being lost monthly due to the tariffs.
The Scotch Whisky Association reported that the industry had been losing around £4 million per week in lost exports. Graeme Littlejohn, the association's director of strategy, said distillers are "delighted" and can "breathe a sigh of relief." UK Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle hailed the decision as "great news for our scotch whisky industry."
The tariffs, initially introduced under the Trump administration, had added 10% to importer costs. A further 25% charge on single malts was scheduled to return this spring, which has now been averted.