US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) announced that his administration will remove tariffs and trade restrictions on whiskey from the United Kingdom, in “honour” of the state visit of the British monarchs, King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
In a post on Truth Social he said, “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.” He added that the decision was driven by longstanding trade ties between the two regions, particularly in barrel production and the whiskey supply chain.
Decision linked to longstanding trade ties
“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,” the post said.
Trump further credited the royal visit for influencing the policy change, stating: “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 USA.”
“I just took all the restrictions off so Scotland and Kentucky can start dealing again. And I did it in honour of the King and Queen who have just left. They’re heading back. And it was a big deal. They’ve been trying to get this for a long time,” Trump said at Executive Order Signing in his office.
Royal visit includes 9/11 memorial tribute
Earlier on Wednesday (local time), the UK’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla paid tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks, visiting the 9/11 Memorial in New York during their ongoing state visit to the United States.
During their visit, King Charles and Queen Camilla met families of victims and spoke with first responders who were involved in rescue and recovery operations following the attacks. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg were also present at the ceremony.
King invokes global unity in US Congress address
The visit came a day after King Charles III addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress, where he invoked the legacy of 9/11 to emphasise the importance of global unity. He described the attacks as a defining moment for the United States and the international community, recalling how nations stood together in the fight against terrorism.
Trump praises King Charles, notes policy differences
Despite his criticism of NATO partners, Trump on Wednesday (local time) was effusive in his praise for King Charles III. “The King is fantastic. We spent a lot of time together. We had a lot of talk. We talked about this also. And, uh, he loves his country and he’s a great King and he’s a great friend of mine. And I think if he were doing that, if that were up to him, he would have probably helped us with Iran. He would have done, he would have followed the suggestions we made with respect to Ukraine because... we have some disagreements on Ukraine. And, uh, not having to do with NATO so much as European countries,” he said.
Transatlantic alliance highlighted amid global tensions
King Charles III, while addressing a White House state dinner and engaging with US lawmakers, underscored the importance of the transatlantic alliance, highlighting the historical ties between the United States and the United Kingdom dating back to World War II. He stressed that continued cooperation through NATO and partnerships such as AUKUS remains vital amid ongoing global challenges, including the war in Ukraine.
Published on May 1, 2026