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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was lifting tariffs on whisky from the United Kingdom, in a gesture to King Charles III and Queen Camilla after their royal state visit.
The royal duo left the US on Thursday after a four-day state visit meant to celebrate the former British colony's 250th anniversary of independence. The trip was aimed at repairing relations between the US and UK, strained over European allies declining to join the US-Israel war against Iran.
Note: whisky, the so-called water of life, is the preferred spelling for the drink in Scotland, also known as Scotch. Whiskey with an "e" is used for the drink when it's made in Ireland and is the preferred term for US whiskey.
What Did Trump Say About Ending the Whisky Tariff?
"The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He spoke of the Scotch industry's relationship with bourbon makers in the US. Most Scotch producers source their casks from the US to age their whiskey in.
"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 said, adding that the tariff removal was in "honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House."
The governments of Scotland and the UK had been lobbying the Trump administration to end tariffs on the industry for their biggest market.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer later said in a statement that the US would give "preferential duty access for whiskey produced in the United Kingdom." The administration did not immediately respond to questions about whether that meant eliminating the tariffs or lowering them.
In 2025, the Trump administration reached a trade framework that put a 10% tax on most goods imported from Britain. Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom.
London and Edinburgh Welcome Decision
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said Charles "sends his sincere gratitude" for the decision.
"His Majesty will be raising a dram to the President's thoughtfulness and generous hospitality as he departs the US after a most enjoyable state visit for both their majesties in this special anniversary year," the spokesperson said.
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Bermuda on Thursday for their first visit to a British Overseas Territory as a sovereign.
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney hailed the decision, calling it "tremendous news for Scotland." He had previously visited the White House to press the US President on the matter.
"People's jobs were at stake. Millions of pounds were being lost every month from the Scottish economy," he said.
Swinney said that "hard work" had paid off and that he was "grateful" to the king for the "key role he played in this tremendous success." He also thanked President Trump "for listening and acting to lift the tariffs."
British Trade Minister Peter Kyle also welcomed the move.
"This is great News for our Scotch whisky industry, which is worth almost £1bn in exports and supports thousands of jobs across the UK," Kyle said.
Read: Trump Says King Charles Agrees Iran Cannot Have Nuclear Weapons
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