Trump says he will remove tariffs on Scottish whisky in honor of King Charles

Scottish whisky is set for a major boost after US President Donald Trump said he will scrap tariffs on the industry, crediting the move in part to this week’s White House visit by Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Trump pointed to the long-standing ties between Scotch makers and the American bourbon sector, as well as the effect of the royal visit, in announcing the change. Many Scotch distillers rely on casks sourced from the United States.

The president said that although “people have wanted to do this for a long time”, the King and Queen “got me to do something that nobody else was able to do”.

Both the Scottish and UK governments had been pressing Trump to lift the tariffs, with the US remaining the most important overseas market for Scotland’s whisky industry.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney had previously travelled to the White House to make the case directly, following talks during Trump’s visit to Scotland last year.

Announcing the decision, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “In honor (sic) of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House, soon headed back to their wonderful Country, 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.

“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. The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!

“A wonderful Honor to have them both in the U.S.A. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Swinney described the move as “tremendous news for Scotland”.

He said: “As First Minister, I have made it my mission to do everything possible to lift US tariffs on our whisky.

“People’s jobs were at stake. Millions of pounds were being lost every month from the Scottish economy.

“Yet despite this, and despite months of trade talks, it was obvious to me that the UK government had done little to raise the issue of Scotch whisky, and the US president was not aware that there was an issue until he came here to Scotland.

“By meeting the president during his visit to Scotland and by going to Washington, to the Oval Office, we made Scotland’s case. We worked directly with the Scotch Whisky Association to get Scotland’s voice heard.

“And, we used every chance to drive our point home, not least the State Banquet hosted by His Majesty The King in London last September.”

Swinney said the outcome showed that “hard work” had “paid off” and thanked the president “for listening and acting to lift the tariffs”.

He also said Scotland was “grateful” to the King for the “key role he played in this tremendous success”.

“Scotland needs a government that is always on Scotland’s side,” he added.

“It needs experienced leadership that is focused on delivering and knows how to get things done at the very highest level.

“That is what we offer and today shows how important it is.”

Business and trade secretary Peter Kyle said: “This is great news for our Scotch whisky industry, which is worth almost £1 billion [€1.16m] in exports and supports thousands of jobs across the UK.

“I have been advocating for lower tariffs on key exports like whisky to protect vital jobs and iconic British brands while strengthening our relationship with the US.”

Whiskey producers in Ireland are still trying to gauge what Trump’s decision to remove the tariff on Scotch whisky could mean for the Irish whiskey industry.

Industry sources said they were seeking clarity on the details, with some concerned that, once confirmed, the change could cover Irish whiskey produced in Northern Ireland but not the Republic.

The full effect of the decision may not become clear until an executive order setting out the tariff reduction is published.