Official release
As a result of engagement led by the UK Government, distilleries and whisky drinkers on both sides of the Atlantic will be raising a glass to celebrate a landmark day for the beloved product as US tariffs are lifted.
From today [24 July], whisky from the UK will now have zero tariffs following the agreement that was reached during His Majesty The King’s visit in April.
Whisky distilleries across the country are set to benefit from the deal we secured from boosted trading with what is the largest market by value – in 2025, whisky exports to the US alone were worth £1 billion, almost 20% of all whisky exported from the UK.
To mark the long-awaited milestone, Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander visited Pernod Ricard’s Strathclyde Distillery in the heart of Glasgow.
The whisky industry supports 41,000 jobs in Scotland and a further 25,000 jobs across the UK, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.
The removal of tariffs by the US is the latest big win for the industry this month, with the India FTA coming into force and reducing whisky tariffs from 150% to 75% immediately, then to 40% over ten years.
Despite a new round of global tariffs announced by the US today, our landmark Economic Prosperity Deal remains in place, and we see an improvement to our trading terms with zero tariffs on both whisky and medical technology.
The changes to whisky tariff arrangements with the US is the latest in a series of deals the UK Government has achieved to support businesses and economic growth. Alongside the India Free Trade Agreement, deals with the Gulf Co-operation Council and the European Union have all shown the importance of working with global partners to grow the UK’s economy and trade partnerships.
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Source: UK Department for Business and Trade ↗ · Updated 24 Jul 2026, 11:01 pm IST
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Last checked 2 Nov 2026, 5:41 pm IST · Coverage & methodology