Trump scraps tariffs on Irish whiskey ‘on behalf of the United States of America’

US president Donald Trump made the surprise announcement that he would remove tariffs from Irish whiskey at the end of his two-day visit to Ireland.It came shortly before he presented golfer Shane Lowry with the winner’s trophy after he triumphed in the Irish Open tournament at Trump’s golf resort in Doonbeg, Co Clare.Irish whiskey was impacted as part of wide-ranging tariffs the Trump administration imposed on imports from the European Union and elsewhere. Those on Irish whiskey were as high as 15 per cent last year, but that was subsequently reduced to 10 per cent.READ MOREIt is understood Taoiseach Micheál Martin raised the issue with Trump during their meeting at Farmleigh on Saturday.As he wrapped up his address to the crowd at the Irish Open, 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.”The Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) quickly welcomed the announcement. Director Eoin Ó Catháin said: “Nothing exemplifies the US-Ireland trade relationship better than Irish whiskey.”Exports to the US were worth €450 million in 2025, he said, while Irish distillers purchased €80 million worth of US whiskey casks. “This relationship represents thousands of jobs and millions in investment on both sides of the Atlantic, and the return to tariff-free trade for our Irish whiskey distillers will strengthen this success and lead to further growth and investment.”Tanaiste Simon Harris said the announcement was of economic significance and reflected the importance of the economic relationship between Ireland and the US. Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said the US was a “vital market for our many quality local distillers across the country”, and the move would protect jobs. At the post-tournament press conference, Lowry was asked about Trump’s remarks that the golfer had been among those with whom he had discussed whiskey tariffs. Lowry joked: “Irish distillers better be sending me a cheque soon. That must be worth a few quid to them.”Meanwhile, the Taoiseach defended the manner in which he raised the issue of Gaza with Trump, including how he had not referred to what had happened in the Palestinian enclave as genocide. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy accused the Taoiseach of an “abject failure to challenge Trump” on the issue. Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion – who joined protesters near Trump’s golf resort in Doonbeg on Sunday – argued that the Irish people “would have liked for Micheál Martin to be a lot stronger” on Gaza and the “upholding of international law and accountability for Israel”.Martin said his main focus was “accelerating getting more aid to Gaza” and that this was the “key issue now for the Palestinians”. He said he had received a thank you message “immediately afterwards” from the Palestinian ambassador. Martin also mentioned Ireland’s intervention in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case taken by South Africa alleging genocide by Israel in Gaza and said: “I took that decision with the Government some time back and we have been very consistent as a country in relation to the Middle East and in relation to the Palestinian question.”He said the US president “undertook to do everything he possibly could to get aid into Gaza and particularly the Irish contribution in respect of that.” Asked whether he told Trump that what was happening in Gaza was genocide, Martin said: “No, I didn’t use that term specifically,” while denying he had changed his language on the issue when meeting Trump.The US president’s whirlwind visit to Ireland ended on Sunday. Trump praised the hospitality of the Irish people he had experienced, while also remarking that some were among the “most vicious bastards” he has done business with during his two-day visit. He said Irish-based medical companies had “fleeced” the US by not paying taxes there.Following his arrival in Ireland on Saturday, Trump first visited the Phoenix Park, where he met President Catherine Connolly in Áras an Uachtaráin and then the Taoiseach in Farmleigh House. Afterwards, he spoke at an event in the residence of the US ambassador Edward Walsh at Deerfield, also in the Phoenix Park. The president then flew on Air Force One to Doonbeg, where he watched the final two days of the Irish Open.