Trump says he plans to remove 10% tariff on Irish whiskey
Trump announced the planned Irish whiskey tariff removal at the Irish Open, but no effective date or implementation details were given.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
President Donald Trump said he plans to remove the 10% U.S. tariff on Irish whiskey during the Irish Open trophy presentation in Doonbeg, Ireland, on Sept. 13. The Trump Irish whiskey tariff announcement did not include a date for the change or details showing that zero-tariff treatment had taken effect.
According to Associated Press reporting published by Fortune and The Toronto Star, Trump told spectators that people had pressed him to act, including golfers. He said, “Everybody’s been bugging me,” before declaring that he would take the tariff off Irish whiskey.
When will the tariff on Irish whiskey be removed?
No timetable was immediately announced, according to the AP reports. A tariff is a tax charged on imported goods at the border; until a policy change is put into effect, importers need the applicable customs treatment for their shipments. How tariffs work at the border and in prices explains that importers generally pay the duty when goods enter the country.
Irish whiskey had been subject to the standard tariff applied to most imports from the European Union. The rate had fallen from 15% to 10% in July, the reports said; an earlier AP version that listed the current rate as 15% was later corrected.
The announcement highlighted a difference in treatment among whiskey imports. The reports said U.K. whiskey, including Scotch and spirits made in Northern Ireland, had received separate tariff relief, and the Scotch Whisky Association said the zero-tariff policy took effect July 24. Irish whiskey was reported to face the 10% tariff before Trump’s Sept. 13 statement.
Trump made the remark as he presented the Irish Open trophy at Trump International Golf Links. AP reported that he said Irish Open winner Shane Lowry was among those who had asked about the tariff, and that the crowd responded with cheers and whistles.
What would a tariff removal mean for Irish whiskey?
The Irish Whiskey Association had urged the administration in May to remove the duty, saying the move would aid U.S. companies that sell Irish products and reduce uncertainty for consumers, according to AP reporting. Chris Swonger, president and chief executive of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, called Trump’s announcement a positive step toward lowering barriers in spirits trade.
The available reporting established Trump’s stated intention, rather than a completed policy action. It did not provide an effective date, customs guidance or another official implementation record for a revised Irish whiskey rate.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.