US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was lifting tariffs on whiskey from the United Kingdom in a gesture of respect following the royal state visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The royal couple departed the United States on Thursday after a four-day state visit to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the former British colony’s independence. The purpose of the visit was to improve relations between the US and Britain, which were strained due to the European allies’ refusal to join the US–Israeli war against Iran.
Note: Whiskey, also known as the water of life, is the preferred spelling in Scotland for the drink, also known as Scotch. Whiskey with an “e” is used for the drink when it is made in Ireland and is the preferred term for American whiskey.
What did Trump say about ending the whiskey tariff?
“The king and queen asked me to do something that no one else could do, and that too without asking!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He talked about the Scotch industry’s relationship with Bourbon makers in America. Most Scotch producers source their casks from the US to age their whisky.
“People have wanted to do this for a long time, because there is massive inter-country trade, especially with used wooden barrels,” he said, adding that removing the tariffs was “in honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House.”
The governments of Scotland and the UK were lobbying the Trump administration to end tariffs on the industry, their largest market.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer later said in a statement that the US would give “preferential duty access to whiskey produced in the United Kingdom”. The administration did not immediately respond to a question about whether that meant eliminating the tariffs or reducing them.
In 2025, the Trump administration reached a trade framework that imposed a 10% tax on most goods imported from Britain. Scotland is part of the United Kingdom.
London and Edinburgh welcome the decision
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said Charles “expresses his heartfelt gratitude” for the decision.
“Their Excellencies will pay tribute to the President’s thoughtfulness and generous hospitality as he departs the United States after a most enjoyable state visit for both Their Majesties in this special anniversary year,” the spokesperson said.
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Bermuda on Thursday for their first visit to the British Overseas Territory as sovereign.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney praised the decision, calling it “tremendous news for Scotland”. He had earlier visited the White House to put pressure on the US President on this matter.
He said, “People’s jobs were at stake. The Scottish economy was losing millions of pounds every month.”
Swinney said that the “hard work” paid off and that he was “grateful” to King for the “crucial role he played in this tremendous success”. He also thanked President Trump “for listening and taking action to lift the tariffs.”
British Trade Minister Peter Kyle also welcomed the move.
“This is great news for our Scotch whiskey industry, which is worth almost £1 billion in exports and supports thousands of jobs across the UK,” Kyle said.
Edited by: Alex Berry