US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced plans to remove the 10% tariff on Irish whiskey, responding to calls from Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin and golfers, including Irish Open winner Shane Lowry, at the close of a golf tournament in Ireland.
“Everybody’s been bugging me” to do it, Trump said during the trophy ceremony. “And I said, on behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off” of Irish whiskey.
Also read: US companies get creative as tariff refunds start flowing in
The announcement drew loud whistling and cheers from spectators. Details on when the tariff would be lifted were not immediately available.
Irish whiskey currently faces the standard tariff imposed by Trump on most imports from the European Union, which was reduced from 15% to 10% in July.
UK whiskey exemption
Trump’s announcement would address an imbalance created after he lifted certain tariffs on UK whiskey in April, including Scotch and spirits made in Northern Ireland.
The Scotch Whisky Association said on July 24 that the zero-tariff policy had come into effect.
In May, the Irish Whiskey Association called for the removal of tariffs, saying it would help US companies with Irish products in their portfolios and reduce uncertainty for consumers.
Also read: Trump says US-Canada trade deal could come ‘fairly soon’ as boycott reshapes Canadian shelves
Industry welcomes tariff relief
Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, called Trump’s announcement “another positive step toward reducing barriers to spirits trade”.
“As US hospitality businesses enter the critical holiday season, this action will provide a welcome boost for retailers, restaurants, consumers and the American economy,” Swonger said.
Trump said on April 30 that he gave the United Kingdom a tariff break on whiskey after King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the White House.
“The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!” Trump posted on social media.
