Trump announces to lift US tariff on Irish whiskey, says everybody’s been bugging him about it

US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will remove the 10 per cent tariff currently imposed on Irish whiskey, making the declaration at the closing ceremony of the Irish Open golf tournament in Ireland. He made the announcement while presenting the tournament trophy, saying the issue had been repeatedly raised with him by several people, including Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin and golfers participating in the event.

According to Trump, Irish Open winner Shane Lowry was also among those who had spoken to him about the tariff. Referring to the repeated requests, Trump said, “Everybody’s been bugging me” to do it.

He then announced, “And I said, on behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off” of Irish whiskey. The announcement was met with loud cheers and whistles from spectators attending the event. However, details about when exactly the tariff would be removed were not immediately available.

Why does Irish whiskey face a 10% US tariff?

Irish whiskey is currently covered by the standard tariff that the Trump administration has imposed on most imports from the European Union. The tariff rate was reduced from 15 per cent to 10 per cent in July, but Irish whiskey continued to face the charge.

The situation had also created an imbalance between Irish whiskey and whiskey from the United Kingdom. In April, Trump announced a tariff exemption for UK whiskey, covering Scotch whisky as well as spirits produced in Northern Ireland. With the UK receiving preferential treatment while Irish whiskey remained subject to the EU tariff, the Irish whiskey industry had been seeking similar relief from Washington.

Irish whiskey industry had sought tariff removal

The Irish Whiskey Association had called for the tariff to be scrapped in May. The industry body argued that removing the additional trade barrier would benefit US businesses that sell or distribute Irish products and would also reduce uncertainty for consumers. Trump’s latest announcement therefore represents a significant development for Irish whiskey producers and US businesses involved in the sector, although the exact mechanism and timeline for implementing the decision remain unclear.

US spirits industry welcomes Trump’s announcement

Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, welcomed Trump’s decision and described it as another positive move towards lowering barriers to spirits trade. Swonger said the decision would benefit businesses and consumers during the upcoming holiday season. He said US hospitality businesses were entering an important period of the year and argued that removing the tariff would provide a boost to retailers, restaurants, consumers and the wider American economy.

How did UK whiskey get tariff relief?

Trump had already announced a tariff break for UK whiskey on April 30. At the time, he linked the decision to the visit of Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the White House. Trump wrote on social media that the King and Queen had persuaded him to take the step, saying, “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!” The Scotch Whisky Association later confirmed on July 24 that the zero-tariff policy had come into effect.

(With inputs from AP)

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