US President Donald Trump announced he is lifting tariffs on whisky imported from the United Kingdom, calling the move a gesture to King Charles III and Queen Camilla after their state visit to Washington. The royal couple ended a four-day trip intended to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence and to help repair strained ties between the two countries.
Relations had been tested by disagreements over allied responses to the conflict involving Israel and Iran. Governments in Scotland and across the UK had lobbied Washington to end duties that affected Scotch’s largest export market.
Trump posted on Truth Social: “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!” He highlighted close ties between Scotch distillers and US bourbon producers, noting many Scotch makers use American oak barrels for aging, and said the tariff removal was made “in honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House.”
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the United States would give “preferential duty access for whiskey produced in the United Kingdom,” though the statement did not immediately clarify whether that meant a full removal or a reduction of the tariffs. The action follows a 2025 trade framework that had imposed a 10% tax on many British goods; Scotland is part of the UK.
Buckingham Palace said King Charles “sends his sincere gratitude” for the decision and would “be raising a dram” to the president as the royals departed the US. After Washington, the couple visited Bermuda, marking their first trip to a British Overseas Territory as sovereigns.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney, who had traveled to the White House to press the case, called the announcement “tremendous news for Scotland,” saying jobs and millions of pounds for the Scottish economy were at stake. He thanked the king for his role and President Trump for the decision.
British Trade Minister Peter Kyle also welcomed the move, noting the Scotch whisky sector is worth almost £1 billion in exports and supports thousands of jobs across the UK.
Note: “whisky” is the Scottish spelling (often called Scotch); “whiskey” with an “e” is used in Ireland and the United States.