‘They got me to do it!’ Donald Trump lifts whisky tariffs after visit from King Charles and Queen Camilla

Dorothy Reddin
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:38:40 +0000

Donald Trump has announced he is lifting his whisky tariffs after King Charles and Queen Camilla's successful State Visit to the United States.

The US President took to his favourite online platform, Truth Social, to reveal the news.

He wrote: "In Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House, soon headed back to their wonderful Country, I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon, two very important Industries within Scotland and Kentucky.

"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.

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"The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!

"A wonderful Honor to have them both in the U.S.A."

The US leader signed the statement in his usual fashion: "President DONALD J. TRUMP".

President Trump had imposed and threatened tariffs on whisky as part of a broader "America First" economic strategy aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and reducing trade deficits.

His administration argued that tariffs on imports like Scotch and Irish whiskey would encourage Americans to buy domestically produced goods (like bourbon and rye) rather than overseas products.

King Charles III is a well-known fan of whisky, specifically Scotch single malts.

His appreciation for the spirit is so significant that he has integrated it into both his personal life and his official duties for decades.

Laphroaig, an Islay single malt, is widely cited as the King's favourite.

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In 1994, as Prince of Wales, he granted Laphroaig a Royal Warrant, making it the only single malt distillery to receive such an honour from him.

The King also sells his own branded organic single malt Scotch through the Highgrove Shop, which is produced for his estate.

Mr Trump's praise for the King and Queen on Truth Social comes after his comments to Sky News, where he applauded His Majesty but took a major swipe at Sir Keir Starmer.

He admitted he does not know whether the State Visit by King Charles will help to improve his relationship with the UK Prime Minister.

In a candid confession, the US President said: "I can't give you an answer to that.

"I can tell you one thing, our relationship is very good, but you know, that's another individual. We'll find out.

"But I like Keir Starmer very much, but I think he's made a tragic mistake on immigration and a tragic mistake on energy."

Mr Trump made the comments immediately after he bid farewell to the King and Queen Camilla at the White House.

"He just left, he's a fantastic guy," the president continued to state.

Despite praising Their Majesties, the US President criticised the British Government's position on immigration and energy policy.

Referring to King Charles, Mr Trump said: "He's a much different person than your Prime Minister.

"Your Prime Minister has to learn to deal the way he deals, and he'll do a lot better."