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US lifts tariffs on Scotch whisky exports, easing costs for Scotland
The US had imposed a 10% levy on Scotch in April 2025, and the deal also allows US bourbon and casks to enter the UK tariff free.
The Scottish government has welcomed the lifting of tariffs on Scotch whisky exports to the United States, a change that comes amid a broader wave of US tariffs imposed on hundreds of trading partners, according to BBC Business.
The tariff removal was agreed by President Donald Trump after the state visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla to the US in April, and it reverses an earlier US move that imposed a 10% levy on Scotch whisky in April 2025, with single malts previously rising to 25%.
BBC Business reports the Scotch Whisky Association said the tariffs cost the industry about £150m, noting the US market was worth about £933m in 2025. The agreement also means US bourbon and casks, including Kentucky bourbon barrels used to age Scotch whisky, can arrive in the UK without tariffs.
Scotland's first minister John Swinney described the outcome as a win for both sides of the Atlantic, saying he raised the issue with Trump in a previous Oval Office meeting. Political opponents accused Swinney of taking credit for the change, while Swinney pointed to contributions from the King and what he called a Team Scotland approach.