Trump to remove tariffs on Scottish whisky

Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed Essam 

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will remove tariffs on Scottish whisky to celebrate the connection between the United States and Britain as King Charles III winds up his four-day visit to the United States.

"In Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom ... 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," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"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," Trump said.

The Scotch industry has lobbied the Trump administration to eliminate the 10-percent tariff on its whisky for months, focusing on two arguments: the United States is the largest consumer of Scotch whisky and Scotland spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year importing oak barrels from Kentucky distillers.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the move was part of a broader economic agreement between the two countries to expand market access for key industries, including beef, pharmaceuticals and ethanol, local media reported.