French seek removal of champagne levies after Trump’s Irish whiskey move

US trade tariffs should be removed from cognac and champagne in the same way they are being lifted on Irish whiskey, according to France’s trade minister.Nicolas Forissier made the remarks in advance of an informal meeting of European trade ministers on Friday, which is being held in Dublin as part of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.During his visit to Ireland last month, US president Donald Trump made the surprise announcement that he would remove tariffs from Irish whiskey.This is yet to come into effect.READ MOREA spokesman for Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said that “intensive engagement” with the US on technical implementation of the planned removal of the tariff is ongoing and aims to get it over the line “as soon as possible”.Trade relations with the US are on the agenda for talks at Friday’s meeting of EU ministers in Dublin.Speaking to reporters in advance of the talks, Forissier brought up how the EU made a deal with the US on tariffs, the Turnberry Agreement, saying this fixed the tariff limits and was “positive”.However, he added that “exemptions for certain sectors are necessary”, citing wine and spirits.He added: “Each time I meet an American leader… I’m asking for it on behalf of France.” He said he made the same request with US trade representative Jamieson Greer recently.“I noticed that the Irish whiskeys had been a concern and have no duties now” Forissier added. “It should be the same for French cognac [and], I think, champagne.”Taoiseach Micheál Martin raised the tariff issue with Dublin during his meeting with Trump in Dublin last month.The US tariff on Irish whiskey was as high as 15 per cent last year, but that was subsequently reduced to 10 per cent.The US president announced he would remove the tariff during the prize-giving ceremony at the end of the Irish Open tournament at his golf resort at Doonbeg which was won by Irish golfer Shane Lowry.As he wrapped up his address to the crowd Trump said: “I want to mention one thing [the] Taoiseach and I talked about it, and Shane [Lowry] talked about it.“Everybody’s been bugging me. They’re saying, ‘Will you do me a favour, it’s so unfair what’s going on. Could you possibly take the tariffs off of Irish whiskey?’“And I said, on behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off.”