President Donald Trump announced his intention to eliminate the 15 percent tariff on Irish whiskey during remarks at the conclusion of the Amgen Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, County Clare.
The President appeared at the tournament’s closing ceremony to present a trophy to Irish golfer Shane Lowry, who captured the championship. What began as a ceremonial occasion quickly turned into an impromptu policy announcement that drew enthusiastic approval from the assembled crowd.
“This is an honor. We’re so proud. The whole Doonbeg, and frankly, Ireland itself has been so incredible, so inviting, and we’re very honored presenting you with a great course, it’s been great,” Trump told the gathering before shifting to matters of trade policy.
The President then recounted recent conversations with Irish officials and participants. “I want to mention one thing. Taoiseach and I talked about it, and Shane talked about it, and everybody’s been bugging me, they’re saying, ‘Would you do me a favor? It’s so unfair what’s going on. Could you possibly take the tariffs off of Irish whisky?'”
The crowd responded with laughter as Trump paused, then delivered his commitment. “And I said on behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off of Irish whiskey.”
The announcement drew such sustained applause that Trump’s concluding remarks were momentarily inaudible. He concluded his appearance by congratulating Lowry on his victory.
The President did not specify a timeline for implementing the tariff removal. The current 15 percent duty on Irish whiskey forms part of broader tariff measures applied to numerous European Union exports, which took effect on July 1, 2026.
This announcement follows a similar tariff elimination on whiskey produced in the United Kingdom, including products from Scotland and Northern Ireland. The President attributed that earlier decision to a request from King Charles III and Queen Camilla during their state visit to the White House in late April.
“The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking,” Trump stated at the time of that announcement.
The elimination of tariffs on Scotch whisky became effective on July 24. The Scotch Whisky Association characterized the policy change as welcome news for commercial interests on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Irish whiskey industry has experienced substantial growth in international markets over the past decade, with the United States representing one of its largest export destinations. Industry representatives have consistently argued that tariffs place their products at a competitive disadvantage against domestic American whiskey producers.
The announcement at Doonbeg underscores the President’s willingness to adjust trade policy in response to specific requests from foreign leaders and stakeholders, particularly when such discussions occur during personal interactions or diplomatic engagements.
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