US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States would remove the 10% tariff imposed on Irish whiskey, following appeals from Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and golfer Shane Lowry. According to reports from Bloomberg, Trump made the announcement during a trophy ceremony attended by Irish golf fans at a tournament held at a course owned by his family. 'On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off Irish whiskey,' Trump declared, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. The decision was announced as Shane Lowry, a professional Irish golfer, won the Open in his home country, delivering a major victory to the Irish government and highlighting the often shifting approach to trade policy under the US president.
The Irish Whiskey Association 'heartily welcomes' the news, with Director Eoin Ó Cáitín stating that 'We will continue to work with our EU and US counterparts to secure a return to the zero-for-zero arrangement for all drinks exports.' As reported by Live Mint, the move will be a significant boost for Irish whiskey producers, who have faced a 'challenging year' with Irish whiskey exports declining by 5% in 2025 according to Bord Bia, the Irish food board. The global Irish whiskey market has been particularly affected by oversupply, faltering US demand, and soaring costs of energy and labor. The tariff removal comes after whiskey distilled in the Republic of Ireland and imported into the US had been subject to the 10% tariff, while Scotch and whiskey produced in Northern Ireland currently benefit from the US-UK trade deal.
Trump met Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin on Saturday at the start of a 48-hour visit to Ireland, where he was treated to pomp and pageantry even though he was not making an official state visit. According to Bloomberg, Trump said he was 'besieged by requests' to address the Irish whiskey levies during his short visit, including appeals from Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and Lowry. The leaders were reportedly saying, 'Would you do me a favour? It's so unfair what's going on. Could you possibly take the tariffs off Irish whiskey?' Irish distillers had lobbied for a reduction in the duties, with the decision coming at the end of a two-day visit marked by the country's efforts to engage in delicate diplomacy and maintain warm relations with the US president.
The 10% duty on Irish whiskey is part of tariffs imposed on European Union wine and spirits exported to the United States. According to Bloomberg, Irish whiskey and other goods from the European Union are generally subject to a 10% tariff under an adjusted rate following a Supreme Court ruling striking down earlier Trump levies. The decision follows Trump's earlier action to remove tariffs on Scotch and all other UK whiskies, with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States noting that 'Following President Trump's earlier action to remove tariffs on Scotch and all other UK whiskies, this announcement is another positive step toward reducing barriers to spirits trade.' Wine and spirits have frequently been caught in trade disputes since Trump was sworn into his second term in the White House.
Trump's Irish visit was marked by controversy, with the president saying he would like to see a unified Ireland — comments that sparked blowback in Northern Ireland. As reported by Bloomberg, Trump defended those remarks Sunday, calling them 'fairly routine' and saying that he was only sharing 'my opinion.' Unlike other European nations that have been a target for Trump and drew his criticism this weekend, Ireland generally has been able to avoid some of that fire. The decision represents Trump's regular approach to using tariffs as leverage, turning to levies to push for concessions while also easing them to reward allies. Wine and spirits have frequently been caught in trade disputes since Trump was sworn into his second term, with the president threatening 200% import taxes on champagnes from France and engaging in tit-for-tat trade spats with Canada.
