UK whisky can be shipped to the US tariff-free even as the White House issues a round of levies on goods from more than 80 countries.
On Thursday US time, the White House announced another round of tariffs on more than 80 countries, including Canada.
The tariffs of between 10% and 12.5%, which have sparked criticism, are to replace a 10% global levy that was due to expire.
In a statement, the White House said the fresh tariffs fall under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and have been imposed on the countries “their failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour”.
The UK, which sees its US tariff stay at 10% in line with a deal struck between the two countries last year, confirmed today (24 July) the new tariffs do not apply to UK whisky shipments crossing the Atlantic.
Ian Duddy, the international director at trade body The Scotch Whisky Association, said: “The return of tariff-free trade for Scotch whisky in the US is welcome news for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. As Scotch whisky’s most valuable global market, worth £933m in 2025, the removal of tariffs provides greater confidence to invest, grow exports, and support jobs and communities across Scotland and the US.”
Announcing the new tariffs yesterday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said: “Today’s action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere. I am encouraged by the trading partners who have moved quickly to adopt forced labour import prohibitions and look forward to ensuring their effective enforcement.”
The EU, Canada, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan are deemed by the US to be “six economies [that] have failed to effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour”.
A group of 54 other economies, including the UK, Australia and New Zealand, has “failed to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour”, the US claimed.
For the EU, where a product’s most-favoured nation, or MFN, tariff is less than 10%, the sum of the MFN tariff and the new, Section 301 tariff will be 10%, the US. If a product has an MFN tariff that is greater than or equal to 10%, the Section 301 tariff applied shall be zero.
EU spirits industry trade association SpiritsEurope said it welcomed the exemption for UK whisky but called for an extension to spirits made in the bloc.
“SpiritsEurope welcomes the US tariff exemption for UK whiskies, a constructive step that recognises the distinctive nature of these products and the high value of transatlantic spirits trade,” director general Mark Titterington said. “SpiritsEurope urges that this momentum now be extended to EU spirits through a full restoration of the ‘zero-for-zero’ tariff framework, for the benefit of the hospitality sector on both sides and to further support transatlantic trade in US oak barrels.”
Pauline Bastidon, SpiritsEurope's director for competitiveness and trade, said spirits from the EU have already been subject to a 10% tariff for several months, following Trump's introduction of tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Those tariffs were a temporary measure to replace the tariffs the White House brought in last year that were found to be unlawful in February.
"The immediate situation therefore remains unchanged: EU spirits will continue to face a 10% tariff, now applied under Section 301 rather than Section 122," Bastidon said. "However, the US retains the ability to impose additional tariffs on EU products in the coming days, weeks, or months, as long as the cumulative level remains within the 15% ceiling agreed under the Turnberry agreement. UK whiskies, on the other hand, have now been granted a full exemption from US tariffs."
