President Donald Trump gave King Charles III a final parting gift on Thursday, announcing plans via Truth Social to drop the 10% tariff he brought last year on the import of Scottish whisky into the United States.
Charles and Queen Camilla departed Washington, D.C., on Thursday following two-plus days in the nation’s capital and New York City.
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“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 Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon, two very important Industries within Scotland and Kentucky,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
“People have wanted to do this for a long time, in that there had been great Inter-Country Trade, especially having to do with the Wooden Barrels used,” he continued. “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking! A wonderful Honor to have them both in the U.S.A.”
Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council, heralded Trump’s announcement as “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 wrote in a statement. “This action strengthens transatlantic ties, brings much-needed certainty to our industry and allows spirits producers on both sides of the Atlantic to grow, invest and support jobs at a critical time.”
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Trump, who famously does not drink himself, has used alcohol as a leverage point in trade talks with Europe and other countries since reentering office. Last year, he proposed a 200% tariff on European wines but did not follow through on the threat.
During his stay at the White House, King Charles had a number of private conversations with the president. But experts predicted he’d use the time to try to ease tension between Trump and other NATO countries, not secure tariff relief for the United Kingdom.
