‘Welcome News’: Kentucky Distillers Applaud Donald Trump’s Decision to Roll Back Tariffs on Scotch Whisky
President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order regarding retirement savings in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The Kentucky Distillers’ Association released a statement applauding President Donald Trump’s Thursday decision to remove tariffs on Scotch whisky, calling the move a restoration of reciprocal, tariff-free trade between Kentucky and Scotland’s whisky industries.
The statement follows Thursday’s announcement that the U.S. will eliminate tariffs on Scotch, a policy shift expected to ease pressure on transatlantic whisky trade and reinforce long-standing supply chain ties.
The KDA emphasized the importance of barrel exports, noting that Scottish distillers have long been the largest international buyers of used Kentucky bourbon barrels — a key secondary market created by U.S. regulations requiring bourbon to be aged in new charred oak barrels. Scotland doesn’t have such a regulation, and a majority of scotch whiskies are aged in ex-bourbon barrels.
Economic Stakes for Kentucky
According to the KDA, Kentucky’s bourbon industry contributes more than $10.6 billion annually to the state economy and supports nearly 24,000 jobs.
The group framed the tariff removal as a positive development at a time when bourbon producers continue to navigate broader industry challenges, including shifting global demand and trade disruptions.
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