Producers on both sides of the Atlantic are toasting President Donald Trump’s decision to remove his 10 per cent import tariff, in honour of King Charles III’s visit to the United States.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to announce the move, writing: “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!”
The president introduced his tariff in April 2025, triggering a seven per cent drop in the value of exports to the US, according to figures published in February 2026 by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), which estimated the levy was costing Scotch whisky makers £4 million each week.
Nodjame Fouad, chief executive of the aged spirits unit at Pernod Ricard, the drinks giant that owns brands including Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet, said: “This is a welcome progression, which will bring relief to industry on both sides of the Atlantic, supporting our teams and partners while reinforcing the importance of open and stable trade. We hope that both governments can move quickly to bring this into force.”
Ian Shackleton, sales and brand director at Ian Macleod Distillers, which owns Glengoyne, Rosebank, and Tamdhu distilleries, said: “This is great news for our company and for our industry. We can now put behind us the saga and disruption caused by the uncertainty of the past year. We have some excellent partners in North America and the freer we are to work with them, the better it is for all concerned.”
Smaller distilleries were quick to welcome the news too. Ron MacEachran, executive chairman at Isle of Harris Distillery, which makes the Hearach single malt, said: “As we wait for the details of how and when these changes will take effect, this announcement is an encouraging step forward. For an independent Outer Hebridean distillery like ours, increased access to the US market has a direct impact on growth plans and allows us to support our island community with more confidence.”
Following months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Mark Kent, the SWA’s chief executive, added: “This deal is a significant boost for the Scotch whisky industry in our most valuable export market. Distillers can breathe a little easier during a period of significant pressure on the sector.”
Trump also removed restrictions on Kentucky businesses exporting their former bourbon barrels to Scotland. Some 95 per cent of Scotch whisky is aged in ex-bourbon casks, with imports of wood plunging by 25 per cent last year after the restrictions were introduced.
“American white oak barrels that first mature bourbon and other American whiskeys often go on to help shape great whiskies around the world,” explained Michael Bilello, chief executive of the American Whiskey Association. “When barriers come down, that entire ecosystem becomes stronger.”
Martha Dalton, co-founder of Never Say Die, a bourbon distilled in Kentucky then aged and bottled in England, added: “Three cheers for King Charles – this is exactly the news our industry needed. The UK produces great whisky from the Scottish Highlands to the English countryside, and there is no reason any of it should carry a tariff.”
The importance of transatlantic links was further highlighted on Friday by North Point Distillery in Caithness on Scotland's northern coast unveiling a deal to make Midwest Barrel Company the sole supplier of Kentucky bourbon casks for its Dalclagie single malt.
Struan Mackie, North Coast Distillers' managing director, said: "Given the economic fragility and uncertainty of recent months within our industry, we hope that [the tariff] announcement will act as a shot in the arm for exporters like ourselves, where access to the US market is an increasing focus."
