Donald Trump announces removal of US tariffs on Irish whiskey

President Donald Trump told a crowd at his Doonbeg golf resort in Ireland that the US would be removing tariffs on Irish whiskey, capping a lobbying effort by Irish officials and the country’s distilling industry that had been building for months. The announcement came on September 13 during the Amgen Irish Open. What the tariffs looked like The US had been imposing a 10% tariff on whiskey imported from the Republic of Ireland, with some reports pegging the effective rate closer to 15%. For context, Irish whiskey exports to the US were valued at roughly €450 million last year, making America the single most important market for Irish distillers by a wide margin. The tariff hit an industry that had been on a tear. Irish distillers have poured an estimated €80 million into US whiskey casks as part of their operations, underscoring just how deeply intertwined the Irish whiskey business is with American consumers. Scotch whisky and whiskey from Northern Ireland had already received tariff relief earlier in 2026. That came after the UK made concessions to the Trump administration, with the deal reportedly finalized around April or May following a royal visit to the White House. The Repu...