Crippling retaliatory tariffs on on American Whiskey and Scotch Whisky in trade disputes wholly unrelated to the distilling sector have ended.
Between 1997-2017, when there were no tariffs on distilled spirits between the US and UK, bilateral trade in whiskies increased 212% (from $453 million to $1.41 billion). The devastating retaliatory tariffs imposed on Single Malt Scotch Whisky and the American Whiskeys resulted in a 35% decrease in bilateral trade in whisk(e)y between 2018-2021 (from $1.51 billion to $982 million).
Important trade agreements reached between the U.S. and EU in the mid-1990s – which the UK has subsequently carried over – to eliminate tariffs on most spirits, including Scotch Whisky, Bourbon, and Tennessee Whiskey, form the foundation of mutually beneficial trans-Atlantic trade ,the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. and the Scotch Whisky Association said in a statement.
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The benefits of free trade are clear, and we champion it. We look forward to focusing on bringing our whiskies to consumers around the world and competing in the marketplace on a level playing field,” they added.