- Trump removed US tariffs from Irish whiskey during his speech at the Irish Open prizegiving ceremony in Doonbeg.
- Taoiseach Micheál Martin raised the tariff issue at Farmleigh and discussions continued over the weekend and at lunch in Doonbeg.
- Simon Harris and Eoin Ó Catháin welcomed the removal of the 10pc tariff on Irish whiskey entering the US market.
- Irish whiskey held a disadvantage against Scotch and the six counties, which held zero tariff.
- Irish whiskey export volumes to the EU rose by 21.5pc over the previous four years.
US President Donald Trump has removed tariffs from Irish whiskey following his speech at the Irish Open prizegiving ceremony in Doonbeg. The crowd on the 18th green erupted into cheers and applause when he made the declaration on the final day of his two-day visit to Ireland. Trump stated he had spoken with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Irish Open winner Shane Lowry about the matter before making the commitment on behalf of the United States.
The Taoiseach raised the issue of tariffs on Irish whiskey with Trump during their meeting at Farmleigh on the previous day. Trump promised to examine the matter. They discussed the issue several times over the weekend and again at lunch in Doonbeg on the final day. The announcement came at the end of Trump’s visit to Ireland. Earlier on the same day, Trump expressed support for Irish unification and stated it was going to happen eventually.
Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris welcomed the announcement and described Irish whiskey as a world-renowned product supporting jobs and communities across Ireland. Director of the Irish Whiskey Association Eoin Ó Catháin expressed delight at the removal of the tariff. The EU struck an accord with the Trump administration in the previous year fixing a limit of 15pc on EU products entering the US market. Whiskey made in the Ireland sold into the US was subject to a 10pc tariff. This placed it at a disadvantage with scotch and the six counties, which held zero tariff. Irish whiskey export volumes to the EU rose by 21.5pc over the previous four years.
Shane Lowry shared: “he also announced he was removing tariffs on whiskey because of me, so distillers better start sending me a cheque.”
