By Rajwa Quasim
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he plans to remove the 10% U.S. tariff on Irish whiskey. The move would end the trade measure that placed Irish producers at a disadvantage in the American market.
Trump made the announcement during the closing ceremony of the Irish Open golf tournament Sunday in Ireland, where he presented the tournament trophy to Irish golfer Shane Lowry. In his address to the gathering, Trump said he had been repeatedly asked to remove the tariff, including by Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and Lowry.
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He said, “I want to mention one thing. Taoiseach and I talked about it, and Shane talked about it, and everybody’s been bugging me. They’re saying, ‘Would you do me a favor? It’s so unfair what’s going on. Could you possibly take the tariffs off of Irish whiskey?”
He continued, “And I said, on behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off.”
The 10% tariffs on Irish whiskey were part of broader duties imposed on imports from the European Union. Previously, under a U.S.-EU trade agreement, tariffs on wine and spirits were 15%, which was later reduced to 10% in July. Initially, Trump’s tariffs were believed to be aimed at encouraging domestic production. But the whiskey industry argued that the duties hurt businesses on both sides.
Trump made similar concessions on U.K. whiskey imports after King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the country in April. The move resulted in pressure from the Irish Whiskey Association.
The Irish Whiskey Association welcomed Trump’s announcement. No timeline has been given for when the tariff removal will take effect. The move is expected to provide some relief to distilleries and American businesses involved in importing and selling the product.
CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States Chris Swonger said, “as US hospitality businesses enter the critical holiday season, this action will provide a welcome boost for retailers, restaurants, consumers and the American economy,”
During the bilateral meeting with the Irish prime minister, Trump emphasized the growing relationship between the two countries, which he described as “continue stronger than ever.”
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The announcement came against the backdrop of Trump’s two-day visit to Ireland. Apart from meeting the country’s leaders, Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to attend the Irish Open.
The visit also raised political controversy after Trump voiced support for what he termed as “unification of Ireland,” which drew criticism over the sensitive topic.