The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has urged the UK government to remove tariffs on US whiskeyswhiskies.

The EU has been levying 25% additional tariffs on bourbon and US whiskeys since June 2018, which led to a huge trade decline.

With this move, the EU has ended 25 years of tariff-free trade in whiskeys between the two nations.

The trade body is calling for a return of the ‘zero for zero’ agreement between the US and EU, which was first implemented in the mid-90s.

WSTA chief executive Miles Beale said: “This government is a strong proponent of free trade around the world. The next step to take is to remove US wines and spirits from all current and future trade disputes.

“US whiskies have paid more than their fair share of tariff and in a year when the hospitality industry has seen significant closures, it’s time we got back to trade and not tariffs with our close friends across the pond.

“The WSTA supports the removal of tariffs on all wines and spirits with immediate effect.”

WSTA also said that the addition of new duties to wine could be harmful to UK jobs across the industry.

It further added that the move could result in a decline in Exchequer revenue and ultimately hurt UK wine consumers.

Currently, wine bottling plants in Bristol, Cheshire, Durham, Fermanagh, Manchester and Norfolk support hundreds of direct UK bottling jobs.

In January, WSTA called on the Chancellor for a cut in alcohol duty to help businesses in the country thrive and compete in the global market.