Newsletters
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would remove US tariffs on Irish whiskey, announcing the decision at the end of a visit to Ireland after Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and golfer Shane Lowry both pressed him on the issue.
Trump did not specify when the change would take effect. He said the move came after conversations with Martin, known as the Taoiseach, and with Lowry, who had just won the Irish Open golf tournament.
"Taoiseach and I talked about it, and Shane talked about it, and everybody's been bugging me, would you do me a favor? It's so unfair what's going on," Trump said, recounting the requests he had received. He added that he told the two men, "on behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off" Irish whiskey.
The announcement came as Trump wrapped up his visit to Ireland, where he had watched Lowry win the Irish Open.
Ireland's whiskey exports had been caught up in a wider trade arrangement between the United States and the European Union. The two sides struck an accord last year capping tariffs on EU products entering the US market at 15 percent.
Ireland, as an EU member, exports several key goods to the United States, and those exports had declined under the tariff regime, according to figures cited by Dublin.
Trump's tariff announcement came days after he made comments suggesting he supported a united Ireland, remarks that drew significant attention during his trip and touched on the sensitive question of Northern Ireland's constitutional status.
The whiskey announcement, delivered in a more celebratory setting alongside Lowry's tournament win, marked a lighter note toward the close of the visit.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
