Following King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the U.S, Donald Trump has said that he will remove all tariffs and restrictions on whisky imports. 

Applying to all whisky tariffs, including Irish, the UK government said the change was a tangible win for UK-US relations and British industry. 

Trade response 

Mark Kent, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association, hailed the decision to remove tariffs, which had previously been raised to 10%. 

Kent said: “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. 

“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.” 

Nodjame Fouad, CEO of the global brands unit at Pernod Ricard, likewise praised the news. 

“This is a welcome progression, which will bring relief to industry on both sides of the Atlantic, supporting our teams and partners while reinforcing the importance of open and stable trade. We hope that both governments can move quickly to bring this into force.” 

Meanwhile, Ian Macleod Distillers also celebrated the announcement. Ian Shackleston, sales and brand director, said: “This is great news for our company and for our industry. We can now put the saga and disruption caused by the uncertainty of the past year behind us. 

“As a small, family-owned producer with some world-famous, multi-award-winning brands, the USA is a vital and growing marketplace for us. We have some excellent partners in North America, and the freer we are to work with them, the better it is for all concerned.” 

Trump comment 

On the decision to remove tariffs, Trump also posted a statement on Truth Social. 

He said that, in honour of King Charles and Queen Camilla, he would be removing tariffs and restrictions on “whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on whiskey and bourbon.” 

He added: “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.”