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Donald Trump said he would lift tariffs on whisky from the UK, providing a moment of transatlantic trade co-operation even as the broader relationship sours over the US’s Iran war.
The US president on Thursday posted on Truth Social that he would slash duties on British whisky, including Scotch, “in honor” of King Charles III, who was departing Washington following a state visit to the US.
British officials have been pushing to secure a concession on the duty from the White House for almost a year, including when Trump visited Scotland last summer.
“The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!” Trump wrote.
He said his decision was also based on “Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon”.
The president on Thursday told reporters in the Oval Office that Scotland and Kentucky — which distils bourbon — “can start dealing again”. “It was a big deal. They’ve been trying to get this for a long time.”
US trade representative Jamieson Greer said the move was part of the broader trade deal between the US and UK.
According to the Scotch Whisky Association, a UK industry body, exports of Scotch to the US fell 15 per cent from April 2025 to February 2026 after Trump imposed the new tariffs last year.
The association in February said global exports of the drinks in 2025 were down 0.6 per cent in value, to £5.36bn, and 4.3 per cent in volume, to 1.3bn bottles, compared to the previous year.
Scotland’s first minister John Swinney hailed the lowered duties as “tremendous news for Scotland”.
“As first minister, I have made it my mission to do everything possible to lift US tariffs on our whisky,” he said.
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“I express my thanks to the president for listening and acting to lift the tariffs. And Scotland is grateful to His Majesty the King for the key role he played in this tremendous success,” he added.
Trump’s social media post will not enact a reduced tariff and US customs officials will still need to release official documents to process the change.
King Charles and Queen Camilla spent four days in the US and were greeted at the White House by Trump on Monday.
The state visit comes as the Iran war has soured the transatlantic relationship, with Trump accusing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and allies in Europe of not doing enough to help the US and Israel in their campaign against the Islamic regime.
In a speech to Congress, Charles urged the US and the UK to resist pressure to “become ever more inward-looking”, and traced the historic ties between the two nations.
Additional reporting by Abigail Hauslohner
Source:
www.ft.com