Trump removes Scotch whisky tariffs after visit from King Charles III
President Trump said Thursday that he is removing tariffs on Scotch whisky after the visit from King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
“I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon, two very important Industries within Scotland and Kentucky,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“People have wanted to do this for a long time, in that there had been great Inter-Country Trade, especially having to do with the Wooden Barrels used,” he added. “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!”
The 10 percent tariff on Scottish whisky was imposed last April when Trump put sweeping tariffs on almost every country.
Trump said later Thursday that he lifted the restrictions so that whiskey barrel trading can increase.
“I just took all the restrictions off so Scotland and Kentucky can start dealing again,” he said.
The Scotch Whisky Association celebrated the move Thursday.
“This deal is a significant boost for the Scotch Whisky industry in our most valuable export market. Distillers can breathe a little easier during a period of significant pressure on the sector,” chief executive of the group Mark Kent said in a statement.
“We are hugely grateful for the sustained efforts on both sides of the Atlantic. For months, many have worked tirelessly to return zero-for-zero tariff trade for whisky and bourbon. The special relationship that the Scotch Whisky and American Whiskey industries share will be reinvigorated by this announcement,” he added.
The association had said in February that Scotch whisky exports to the U.S. fell 15 percent after the tariffs were announced.
Updated at 5:12 p.m. EDT
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