During the trophy ceremony for the Irish Open golf tournament in Doonbeg, Ireland, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to remove a 15% tariff on Irish whiskey.
Trump stated that he had been prompted to make the decision by numerous individuals, including some of the golfers participating in the event. "Everybody’s been bugging me" to take this action, Trump said. "And I said, ‘On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off Irish whiskey.’"
Currently, Irish whiskey imports are subject to a 15% tariff that Trump had previously imposed on goods from the European Union. In May, Trump had also announced the removal of certain tariffs on U.K. whiskey, specifically Scotch and spirits originating from Northern Ireland. The announcement in Ireland was met with applause from the audience.
The Irish Whiskey Association had previously urged the removal of these tariffs, expressing concerns that they negatively impacted U.S. companies with Irish products in their portfolios and created consumer uncertainty. Details regarding the timeline for the tariff's removal were not immediately provided.
In May, Trump linked a tariff reduction for U.K. whiskey to a White House visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, suggesting their presence influenced his decision.