U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he’s removing certain tariffs on Scotch whisky after this week’s White House visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the UK.
“The King and Queen got me to do something that no one else was in a position to do, without hardly even asking!” Trump posted on social media.
Trump said people had wanted this variation, especially with regard to the wood barrels by which the spirits of Scotch and bourbon could be aged. His post left it unclear if the tariffs were being lifted on bottles of Scotch or on the materials used to supply alcohol in each countries.
“I will likely 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,” Trump said.
The White House didn’t reply to emails in search of clarification, though the post was interpreted in Scotland and by industry lobbyists as removing the tariffs on Scotch.
The Trump administration in 2025 reached a trade framework that put a ten% tax on most goods imported from Britain. The Scotch Whisky Association said its export volume to the U.S. fell 15% after the tariffs were announced in April of last 12 months.
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The president, answering questions from reporters within the Oval Office, said the tariffs were lifted to specifically 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.
“I just took all of the restrictions off so Scotland and Kentucky can start dealing again,” Trump said.
Still, John Swinney, Scotland’s first minister, interpreted the president’s statement as a removal of tariffs on Scotch itself, calling it a “tremendous success” for his country.
“People’s jobs were at stake. Hundreds of thousands of kilos were being lost every month from the Scottish economy,” said Swinney, expressing gratitude to each Trump and King Charles III.
Trump has used alcohol as a pressure point in his tariff threats. Last 12 months, he threatened a 200% tariff on European wine — a significant potential blow to French and Italian vineyards that never got here to fruition.
Foreign countries have responded in turn with threats on bourbon and other American products.
Ultimately, the Trump administration exempted cork from tariffs, an enormous relief to Portugal, the leading supplier of the fabric used to cap wine bottles.
Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council within the U.S., also interpreted Trump’s post as a removal of the ten% tariff on whisky from the UK.
“We applaud President Trump for working to revive a proven zero‑for‑zero model of fair, reciprocal trade between our two nations,” Swonger said in a press release.
“This motion strengthens transatlantic ties, brings much‑needed certainty to our industry and allows spirits producers on either side of the Atlantic to grow, invest and support jobs at a critical time.”
AP correspondent Jill Lawless contributed from London.
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