Tax and dealsData study
Tariff watchUK prices of bourbon and American whiskey
No UK import tariff applies to American whiskey today; the last one, 25%, ended on 1 June 2022.
0% UK import tariff on American whiskey today; the last one, 25%, ended on 1 June 2022
Each shop is compared only with itself; gaps are days we didn't collect that shop. 74 of the 75 shop listings we recorded on two or more days (28 September 2026 to 14 October 2026) never changed price.
A running record of what bourbon and other American whiskeys cost at the UK shops we check, set against the tariff record, so that if UK duties on US whiskey change there is a real before-and-after. Pick a bottle to see each shop’s price on every day we checked.
Lowest UK shelf price of each American whiskey in stock (36, 14 October 2026)
- 0% today. The UK Trade Tariff lists no import duty on bourbon or other whiskies, and no extra duty on US goods (checked 23 October 2026).
- EU moves are EU only. The threatened 50% (March 2025) and the suspended 30% (from August 2025) apply to imports into the EU, not Great Britain.
- Flat so far. Nearly every American whiskey listing we check has held the same shelf price from one check to the next since 28 September 2026.
Source: UK Trade Tariff, commodity 2208 30 11 00 (bourbon whiskey, 2 litres or less): 0% third-country duty, retrieved 23 October 2026. Updated 23 October 2026. Free to reuse with a link to this page.
About this data: method, downloads and sources
How we did it
Which bottles. Every bottle in our catalogue tagged as made in the United States: bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, rye, wheat and corn whiskey, and American single malt. Our coverage is partial; some big names (Buffalo Trace among them) are not yet matched at the shops we check.
Current price is the lowest in-stock shelf price at the UK retailers we check, excluding delivery, on the collection date shown.
History compares each shop’s listing with itself on the days we collected it. We don’t build a “lowest price per day” across shops, because our collection days are irregular and not every shop was collected on every day, so the cheapest shop could drop in and out of the series and fake a price move. Loch Fyne Whiskies and The Whisky Shop share an owner and count as one shop. We don’t fill gaps between collection days.
The tariff record lists only dated events from official sources (GOV.UK, the UK Trade Tariff, EU legislation) and trade press, with the date we read them. It says what the duties were; it doesn’t forecast them, and we don’t claim that any price change was caused by a tariff.
We will add to the history as our refreshes continue, and update the record if UK duties on US whiskey change.
The tariff record (dated events only; each source is listed below):
| Date | What happened | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2018 | The EU, then including the UK, adds a 25% duty on American whiskey in response to US tariffs on steel and aluminium. | EU, including the UK | Regulation (EU) 2018/886; The Grocer |
| 19 September 2019 | The Grocer reports higher UK shelf prices for several US whiskey brands than a year earlier, from a mix of base price rises and fewer promotions. | UK shelves | The Grocer |
| 24 May 2021 | The UK, now outside the EU, says it still has rebalancing measures on US whiskey and consults on its approach. | UK | GOV.UK |
| 22 March 2022 | The UK and US agree to settle the steel and aluminium dispute; the UK will lift its measures on US whiskey. | UK | GOV.UK |
| 1 June 2022 | The UK ends its rebalancing measures on US whiskey. | UK | GOV.UK |
| 12 March 2025 | The EU announces that its suspended tariff on American whiskey would return on 1 April 2025 at 50%. | EU only | Spectrum News 1 (citing DISCUS) |
| August 2025 to 5 February 2026 | A 30% EU retaliatory tariff on American alcohol products is suspended for six months; on 5 February 2026 the European Commission extends the suspension to August 2026. | EU only | Spectrum News 1 |
| 23 October 2026 | The UK Trade Tariff shows 0% third-country duty on bourbon and other whiskies, and no additional duty on US goods. | UK | UK Trade Tariff |
We haven’t confirmed the EU’s position after August 2026. EU tariffs haven’t applied to imports into Great Britain since the UK left the EU. UK Alcohol Duty and VAT apply to American whiskey as to Scotch: see how much of each bottle is tax.
Download the data
Free to reuse with a link to this page.
Sources
- UK Trade Tariff, commodity 2208 30 11 00 (bourbon whiskey, 2 litres or less): 0% third-country duty, retrieved 23 October 2026
- UK Trade Tariff, commodity 2208 30 82 00 (other whiskies, 2 litres or less): 0% third-country duty, retrieved 23 October 2026
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/886 of 20 June 2018 (additional duties on US products), legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 23 October 2026
- The Grocer, Brits paying more for US whiskey as EU tariffs start to take effect, 19 September 2019, retrieved 23 October 2026
- Department for International Trade, UK consults on new approach to US tariffs, 24 May 2021, retrieved 23 October 2026
- Department for International Trade, UK and US resolve steel and aluminium tariffs issue, 22 March 2022, retrieved 23 October 2026
- Department for International Trade, UK-US tariff resolution creates export opportunities for steelmakers and whisky makers alike, 1 June 2022, retrieved 23 October 2026
- Spectrum News 1, 'Worst-case scenario': EU poised to reimpose tariffs on bourbon, 12 March 2025, retrieved 23 October 2026
- Spectrum News 1, EU extends suspension of tariff, 5 February 2026, retrieved 23 October 2026
Prices are the shelf prices we recorded at UK retailers on the dates shown and change daily. Uisge Beatha compares prices; it does not sell whisky or give investment advice. Please enjoy whisky responsibly: drinkaware.co.uk.