Trump plans to remove US tariffs on Irish whiskey

Monday 14 - 12:15

By: Azzat Manal

Trump plans to remove US tariffs on Irish whiskey

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to eliminate the 15% tariff currently imposed on Irish whiskey, saying he intends to respond to repeated calls for the measure to be removed.

Trump made the announcement while attending the conclusion of the Irish Open golf tournament, where he said the issue of tariffs on Irish whiskey had been raised with him on several occasions. He also noted that some professional golfers had urged him to reconsider the duties.

Speaking to those gathered at the event, Trump indicated that he had decided to support the request and that Washington would move toward removing the tariff. However, the administration has not yet provided a specific timetable or detailed mechanism for implementing the change.

Irish whiskey remains subject to a 15% US tariff as part of the broader trade measures imposed by the Trump administration on imports from the European Union. The planned exemption would therefore represent a targeted adjustment within the wider US-EU trade relationship.

The announcement follows earlier steps by Washington to ease tariffs on certain British spirits. In May, Trump announced that British whiskey, including Scotch whisky and products made in Northern Ireland, would receive exemptions from some US tariffs.

Trump subsequently linked that decision to a visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the White House. At the time, he said the British monarch and his wife had helped persuade him to take the measure, describing the intervention as particularly effective.

The latest announcement was met with enthusiastic applause and cheers from spectators at the golf tournament, reflecting the cultural and commercial importance of whiskey in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Irish whiskey is a major export product and has developed a strong presence in the US market over the years.

Any removal of the tariff would potentially provide relief to Irish producers and exporters by reducing the additional cost imposed on their products entering the American market. It could also contribute to easing some of the trade tensions between Washington and European partners.

The move comes as the Trump administration continues to use tariffs as a central tool of US trade policy. While the proposed Irish whiskey exemption appears narrowly focused, decisions affecting individual products can have wider implications for exporters, consumers and negotiations between the United States and its trading partners.

The exact scope of the planned exemption remains unclear, and further details are expected from the US administration before the measure can take effect.