President Trump announced Thursday he was removing tariffs on Scotch whisky after a four-day British royal state visit to the United States, crediting King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
As he often does, Trump announced the move on Truth Social.
“The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!” he wrote. “In Honor 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 Whisky.”
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The removal affects restrictions “on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whisky and Bourbon, two very important industries within Scotland and Kentucky,” he added.
Trump said people have been asking for the change. However, his announcement was unclear as to whether the tariff removal applied to bottles of Scotch or on the materials used to produce alcohol in both the United States and Scotland.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
In 2025, the U.S. and the United Kingdom signed a deal allowing Washington to impose a 10% baseline tariff on imports of most British goods, part of an effort by Trump to correct what he perceived as long-standing trade imbalances.
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While speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the tariffs were lifted to enhance the trade of barrels between Scotland and Kentucky, which produces almost all the world’s bourbon. The barrels are used to age the alcohol, The Associated Press reported.
John Swinney, Scotland’s first minister, praised the removal, calling it a “tremendous success” for his country.
“People’s jobs were at stake. Millions of pounds were being lost every month from the Scottish economy,” he said.
Chris Swonger, the president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council, called Trump’s announcement a “major victory” for American hospitality businesses that are deeply impacted by international trade.
“The United States and the United Kingdom share a deep and enduring spirits tradition built on generations of craftsmanship, agriculture and market access,” he said in a statement. “We applaud President Trump for working to restore a proven zero-for-zero model of fair, reciprocal trade between our two nations.”
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Swonger said the move “strengthens transatlantic ties” and brings “much-needed certainty to our industry,” allowing spirits producers on both sides of the Atlantic to grow, invest and support jobs at a critical time.
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