Washington (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump said Thursday he was removing tariffs on Scottish whisky in honor of Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they wrapped up their state visit. Trump’s announcement as the royal couple ended their four-day trip to the United States represents a major trade concession to key ally Britain even as the Iran war strains transatlantic relations.
Shortly after bidding the British royals goodbye at the White House, Trump posted that he was making the gesture “in Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom.” “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
Scotch whisky from the UK has faced a 10-percent tariff during Trump’s second presidency. But the rate was on course to jump later this year when the suspension of an earlier 25-percent tariff — part of a previous trade truce — expires. In his post, Trump said he was “removing the tariffs and restrictions” on whisky but added that it related to Scotland’s trade with the bourbon-making state of Kentucky, particularly on wooden barrels.
But US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer later appeared to confirm the announcement applied to the alcoholic drink itself. “The United States will allow preferential duty access for whiskey produced in the United Kingdom,” Greer said in a statement. He added that move was part of a broader trade deal announced by the United States and Britain in an Oval Office appearance by Trump last year.
Almost from the moment that Trump returned to power last year, Britain has been trying to make the case for whisky to be exempted from tariffs. During Trump’s first term, his tariffs in 2019 against the European Union — which then included Britain — also targeted the UK’s whisky industry. The United States remains the primary export market for Scotch whisky, accounting for $1.2 billion per year.
But the royal charm offensive by King Charles appeared to have paid off. Trump hailed Charles as the “greatest king” as he waved him and Camilla off at the White House. The visit was officially meant to celebrate transatlantic ties as the United States marks its 250th anniversary of independence from Britain, but much of Charles’s time has been spent smoothing over tensions over Iran. Trump has bitterly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his opposition to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
© 2024 AFP
