U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he plans to remove the 15% Irish whiskey tariff, announcing the move at the conclusion of a golf tournament in Ireland.
Speaking during the Irish Open trophy ceremony in Doonbeg, Trump said he had been pressed on the issue throughout the event, including by some golfers.
“Everybody’s been bugging me” to do it, Trump said, adding, “On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off” Irish whiskey.
Trump moves to lift Irish whiskey tariff
Irish whiskey has been subject to a 15% duty on European Union imports put in place under Trump. In April, he said he granted the United Kingdom a break on whiskey tariffs, covering Scotch and spirits from Northern Ireland.
The Scotch Whisky Association said on July 24 that the zero-tariff policy had taken effect.
The announcement in Doonbeg was met with loud whistling and cheers from spectators, according to those present.
In April, the Irish Whiskey Association urged the removal of the levy, arguing that eliminating the tariff would benefit many U.S. companies that carry Irish brands and would reduce uncertainty for consumers.
Officials did not immediately provide details on the timing or process for lifting the Irish whiskey tariff.
Trump previously said on April 30 that King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s visit to the White House preceded his decision to provide the U.K. tariff relief on whiskey, writing on social media that they influenced the move.
Earlier this year, a separate decision on economic policy, a Trump jobs report, sparked frustration over inflation and interest rates.
King Charles III’s visit followed his coronation as monarch of the United Kingdom, whose government maintains an official presence online through the U.K. government website.
