President Trump grants King Charles' final wish after 'honour' visit
Donald Trump isn't sending King Charles home empty handed, as the monarch has managed to convince him to scrap tariffs on Scotch whisky.
The UK's head of state 'will be raising a dram' to the US president after successfully smooth-talking him into getting rid of the extra fees which industry figures say have been costing them millions.
The news was announced after Charles and Camilla bid the commander-in-chief farewell after an eventful four-day stint in the States.
Over the course of the trip, the monarch addressed his health woes, politely ate a four-course meal littered with ingredients he is 'not a great lover of', cracked a few jokes and swapped gifts with his hosts.
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Trump then waved off the royal couple as they left Washington on Thursday (30 April), before the King heading onto Bermuda for a solo three-day trip, which marks his first visit to the island as a monarch.
In celebration of Charles' visit, the president then announced that he would be eliminating the 10 percent tariffs on sales of Scotch whisky to the US.
In a post shared to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said that he had been charmed by the King - so much so, that he 'got him to do something that nobody else was able to do'.
He wrote: "In Honour 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.
"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 King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking! A wonderful Honour to have them both in the U.S.A."
Buckingham Palace said that Charles would be honouring the occasion with a sip of Scotch.
"The King has been informed of President Trump’s warm gesture and sends his sincere gratitude for a decision that will make an important difference to the British whisky industry and the livelihoods it supports," a royal spokesperson said in a statement.
"His Majesty will be raising a dram to the President’s thoughtfulness and generous hospitality as he departs the US after a most enjoyable State Visit for both Their Majesties in this special anniversary year."
Charles and Camilla also thanked Trump for the 'warm welcome' in a post on X, which added: "We leave a piece of our heart behind and take a little of yours back home with us. Until the next time…God Bless America."
The president's parting gift has come to as music to the ears of distillers, with the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) saying they will now be able to 'breathe a little easier' without the pressure of tariffs.
The trade body's director of strategy and communications, Graeme Littlejohn, said he hoped the deal would be brought in as soon as possible as it's been costing Scotland's industry 'about £4 million a week in lost export'.
He said this totted up to a whopping '£150 million in total over the last 12 months since the tariff has been in place'.
Although Littlejohn heaped praise on Charles for sealing the whisky deal, he explained that Trump relinquishing the tariffs is also down to 'months and months of work'.
"The King was the royal sparkle at the end of a lot of work to get a deal over the line here, this doesn’t happen overnight," the SWA bigwig said.
"The fact that these tariffs are now going to be removed is a real boost for the industry, and distillers will breath a little easier during a time of significant pressure on the industry."
Charandeep Singh, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said the move will bring about 'major benefits on both sides' of the Atlantic.
"An enormous amount of work has been going on behind the scenes to bring about this change - and credit is very much due to the whisky industry and both Scottish and UK governments for their determined efforts," Singh said.
"The USA is the most important export market for Scotch, worth close to £1 billion, and it’s a wonderful way to round off this week’s state visit with His Majesty the King sealing a great deal for the sector.
"We should raise a glass following President Trump’s announcement – and look forward to further strengthening the special business relationships between our economies."
If there was ever a time to crack open a bottle of whisky, this might be it.
Topics: Donald Trump, King Charles III, UK News, US News, Alcohol
Olivia Burke