The United Kingdom will lift retaliatory tariffs on American whiskey in concert with the United States’ decision to lift tariffs on U.K. steel and aluminum, per a recent trade agreement struck between the two nations.
The value of the tariffed U.S. exports — including distilled spirits, agriculture products, and consumer goods — amounted to over $500 million.
“Distillers throughout the United States are cheering the end of this long tariff nightmare. We toast the Biden administration for its resolve in bringing a stop to these punitive tariffs on American Whiskeys and securing the return to duty-free trade in spirits across the Atlantic,” Distilled Spirits Council president and CEO Chris Swonger said in a press release.
The retaliatory tariffs saw American whiskey exports to the U.K. drop from $150 million to $88 million, or 42 percent from 2018-2021.
“With the removal of the UK’s debilitating retaliatory tariffs on American Whiskey exports, U.S. distillers are ready to fire up the stills and resume sharing the special taste, heritage and quality of America’s native spirit with our UK consumers,” Swonger said in the release.
