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President Donald Trump said he would remove US tariffs on Irish whiskey, announcing the move Sunday while attending a golf tournament at his family’s course in western Ireland.
“On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off,” Trump said to cheers from the crowd at the Irish Open’s trophy celebration.
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.
Trump’s decision was announced as Shane Lowry, a professional Irish golfer, won the Open in his home country. The declaration delivers a major victory to the Irish government and highlights the often shifting — and personal — approach to trade policy under the US president. Trump has regularly turned to tariffs to push for concessions and punish nations that have bucked his interests; he has also eased levies to reward allies.
The decision, which Trump announced to roaring applause at his family’s golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, came 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.
Unlike other European nations that have been targets for Trump and drew his criticism this weekend, Ireland generally has been able to avoid some of that fire. Still, trade issues have been a major flashpoint between Washington and Dublin, with Trump critical of Ireland’s economic model that has attracted US companies and drawn hefty tax revenues.
The Irish Whiskey Association “heartily welcomes” the news, Irish Whiskey Association Director Eoin Ó Cáitín said in a statement. “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.”
Ireland’s leaders rolled out the red carpet for Trump, treating him to pomp and pageantry even though he was not making an official state visit to the country. Trump was given gifts and treated to an honor guard as part of a charm offensive in Dublin on Saturday when he met with the president and prime minister.
Irish distillers had lobbied for a reduction in the duties. While whiskey distilled in the Republic of Ireland and imported into the US has been subject to the 10% tariff, Scotch as well as whiskey produced in Northern Ireland currently does not face such levies as it benefits from the US-UK trade deal.
On Sunday, 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 Taoiseach raised the issue of tariffs on Irish whiskey with Trump when they spoke Saturday in Dublin, according to a person familiar with the matter.
“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,” Distilled Spirits Council of the United States Chief Executive Officer Chris Swonger said in a statement.
The move will be a boost for Irish whiskey producers. The global Irish whiskey market faced a “challenging year,” especially in the US, where Irish whiskey exports declined by 5% in 2025, according to Bord Bia, the Irish food board.
Tariffs had dealt another blow to the whiskey distillers, one of Ireland’s largest and most historic indigenous industries. They had already been beset by oversupply, faltering US demand and the soaring cost of everything from energy to labor.
Wine and spirits have frequently been caught in trade disputes since Trump was sworn into his second term in the White House.
After Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum last year, the EU prepared a host of retaliatory levies, including one that targeted American whiskey; Trump, in turn, threatened to slap a 200% import tax on champagnes from France. A tit-for-tat trade spat between the US and Canada also has seen provinces pulling American alcohol from store shelves.
Trump’s Irish visit was not without controversy. The president in remarks Saturday said he would like to see a unified Ireland — comments that sparked blowback in Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK.
Trump defended those remarks Sunday, calling them “fairly routine” and saying that he was only sharing “my opinion.”
With assistance from Jennifer Duggan and Redd Brown.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
