Trump Says He Will Remove Tariff on Irish Whiskey Following Trip to Ireland Because ‘Everybody’s Been Bugging Me’

President Donald Trump speaks on the 18th green during the Irish Open golf tournament trophy presentation ceremony for Shane Lowry, of Ireland, on Sept. 13, at Trump International Golf Links Ireland in Doonbeg, Ireland. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

During a weekend trip to Ireland, President Donald Trump said the United States will remove its 10% tariff on Irish whiskey, potentially ending a trade barrier that has affected one of Ireland’s biggest drinks exports to the U.S.

Trump made the announcement Sunday during a golf tournament at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Ireland, near the end of a 48-hour visit to the country, Reuters reported. The announcement reportedly drew cheers from the crowd.

“Everybody’s been bugging me” to do it, Trump said, according to PBS. “And I said, ‘On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off’. … “I am going to take the tariffs off Irish whiskey.”

Irish whiskey is currently subject to the 10% tariff applied to EU wine and spirits entering the United States. The rate was initially set at 15% under the EU-U.S. trade deal before being reduced to 10% in July as the Trump administration adjusted its tariff policy toward trading partners.

Trump did not provide an effective date for the tariff removal in his announcement, leaving Irish whiskey producers and U.S. importers waiting for formal action to implement the change.

The Irish Whiskey Association welcomed Trump’s announcement and said it would continue working with European and U.S. officials to restore a zero-for-zero tariff arrangement for beverage exports.

“Nothing exemplifies the US-Ireland trade relationship better than Irish Whiskey,” Irish Whiskey Association Director Eoin O’Caitin said, adding that the group looked forward to seeing the announcement fully implemented.

The association has pushed for the return of the previous zero-for-zero tariff arrangement, under which qualifying U.S. and EU spirits could be traded without tariffs.

The announcement comes as the Trump administration continues to reshape U.S. alcohol trade policy. Earlier this month, the White House announced a September 29 ban on certain Canadian alcoholic beverages and maintained 50% additional duties on other Canadian alcohol products.

The Irish whiskey tariff is separate from those Canadian measures and stems from the broader U.S.-EU trade framework.

For Irish whiskey producers, the U.S. is a major export market, making tariff relief an important issue for the country’s whiskey industry. The Irish Whiskey Association said it would continue pursuing tariff-free treatment for the wider drinks sector rather than limiting the effort to whiskey.