American whiskey brand owners are breathing a sigh of relief as authorities in the UK, one of the category’s key markets, have reached an agreement with the US to remove tariffs on the spirit’s imports. The two countries agreed yesterday to drop the 25% retaliatory tariff imposed on whiskey from the US by the UK when it was still a part of the EU in 2018. The move restores free trade for the category, after the EU - and UK - introduced the measure in a trade row over steel and aluminium. The removal takes effect from 1 June and comes almost five months after the EU dropped its tariff barrier. Trade association The Distilled Spirits Council in the US led the praise for President Biden and his administration, referring to “this long tariff nightmare”. “From day one, the Biden administration made it a priority to reset the relationship with the EU and UK, two of our most important allies and trading partners,” said CEO Chris Swonger. “The successful resolution of two separate and complicated trade disputes that saddled distilled spirits on both sides of the Atlantic with tariffs could not have been possible without the strong leadership of Secretary Raimondo, Ambassador Tai and their teams at the Departments of Commerce and Office of the United States Trade Representative.” Category leaders Beam Suntory and Brown-Forman echoed the sentiment, with the Jim Beam brand owner looking forward to the continuation of “a great American export success story” and Jack Daniel’s owner thanking lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic for “this positive outcome”. Elsewhere, US organisation The Bourbon Alliance said its members now have “the opportunity to recover from four years of debilitating tariffs and uncertain trading conditions”. According to DISCUS, exports of American whiskey to the UK fell by 42% in value terms between 2018 and 2021, from US$150m per year to $88m. Earlier this month, the organisation flagged that spirits exports from the US in 2021 had risen by double digits but were still below the level reached prior to the installation of the tariffs. Spirits’ fallout from Russia’s attack on Ukraine - Click here for a Just Drinks comment