BBC
Donald Trump has said he will remove some tariffs and restrictions on whisky imports in honour of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the US.
The US president said he would lift restrictions on Scotland’s ability to work with the state of Kentucky on whisky and bourbon.
He said the visit of the King and Queen “got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking”.
Industry representatives said distillers would be able to “breathe a little easier during a period of significant pressure on the sector”.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney called it “tremendous news for Scotland”.
In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump said the move was “in honour of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House, soon headed back to their wonderful country”.
He said the tariffs and restrictions related to “Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon, two very important industries within Scotland and Kentucky”, and noted how the two areas were linked through the use of wooden barrels.
The main customer for Kentucky’s used bourbon barrels is the Scotch industry, which has been importing around £200m-worth each year.
The president added: “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!
“A wonderful honour to have them both in the USA.”
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