U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, that he plans to remove a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey. Speaking at the Irish Open golf tournament in Doonbeg, Ireland, Trump said the decision followed repeated requests from Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and professional golfers.
President Donald Trump used the closing day of the Irish Open golf tournament at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel to deliver a major trade announcement on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Standing before a cheering crowd of spectators during the trophy presentation, Trump revealed that he intends to eliminate the 10% duty levied on imports of Irish whiskey. Trump made the announcement in front of a crowd of Irish golf fans at a tournament held at a course owned by his family, following a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin on Saturday at the start of a 48-hour visit to the country.
The move scales back trade barriers for one of Ireland’s most prominent export sectors. Irish whiskey, like most imports from the European Union, currently faces a 10% U.S. tariff. Wine and spirits exports to the U.S. were included in a 15% tariff applied on most items under an EU-U.S. trade deal struck last year. Subsequent new U.S. tariffs on 60 trading partners in July, including the EU, brought the rate down to 10% as part of efforts to rebuild Trump’s near-global tariff wall after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his initial duties.
Lifting the Duty After Persistent Requests From Irish Leaders and Golfers
Trump told the crowd that the policy change came after lobbying from political leaders and athletes alike. He specifically pointed to conversations with Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin—the country’s head of government and Taoiseach—alongside professional golfers, including tournament winner Shane Lowry, who talked to him about it as well.
“Everybody’s been bugging me about this one thing: ‘Would you do me a favor? It’s so unfair what’s going on. Could you possibly take the tariffs off of Irish whiskey?'”
President Donald Trump
After outlining the requests he received, Trump gave a direct commitment to the audience before handing the trophy to Shane Lowry. On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off,
the president stated, which prompted loud whistling, cheers, and applause from the tournament’s attendees.
Comparing the Irish Whiskey Policy With Prior United Kingdom Exemptions
The decision addresses a trade imbalance regarding whiskey products. Trump gave the United Kingdom a similar parting gift after King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the United States in April, announcing on Truth Social that he would lift a 10% tariff on U.K. whiskey, which includes Scotch and spirits made in Northern Ireland. Noting that the U.K. already had the exemption, Trump remarked that keeping the tariff on Irish whiskey was “unfair.”
Speaking to reporters later in the day on Sept. 13, Trump clarified that he plans to only remove the tariff on Irish whiskey, not tariffs on any other EU products. He did not immediately specify when he plans to formally make the change, and details on how soon the tariff would be lifted were not immediately available.
Economic Impact on Distillers and the U.S. Holiday Market
The United States is a major market for Irish whiskey distilleries, accounting for an estimated 450 million euros in exports each year, according to the Irish Whiskey Association. Industry representatives quickly welcomed the announcement.
Chris Swonger, president & CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, called Trump’s announcement another positive step toward reducing barriers to spirits trade
and said everyone would benefit from it during the coming holidays. As U.S. hospitality businesses enter the critical holiday season, this action will provide a welcome boost for retailers, restaurants, consumers and the American economy,
Swonger said. In May, the Irish Whiskey Association called for the tariffs to be removed, arguing that such a step would help many U.S. companies with Irish products in their portfolios and avoid uncertainty for consumers.
The Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) also welcomed the announcement and stated it would continue to work with its EU and U.S. counterparts to secure a return to the zero-for-zero tariff arrangement for all drinks exports. Nothing exemplifies the US-Ireland trade relationship better than Irish Whiskey,
IWA Director Eoin O Caitin said in a statement, adding that the lobby group looked forward to seeing the announcement fully implemented.
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