Trump Lifts Tariffs on Irish Whiskey, Boosting Industry and Small Producers

US President Donald Trump has announced that he will be removing tariffs on Irish whiskey, a move that is being hailed as 'perfect timing' by Burren Distillers. The announcement was made during the presentation of the Amgen Irish Open trophy to Shane Lowry in Doonbeg, where Trump stated that he had been lobbied by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Lowry himself to lift the tariffs.

The removal of tariffs is a significant development for the Irish whiskey industry, with the US being its largest market. According to Eoin Ó Catháin, Director of the Irish Whiskey Association, the sector is 'delighted' with Trump's announcement, and will continue to work towards achieving a zero-for-zero trading arrangement.

Burren Distillers, a small distillery based in Ballyvaughan, is particularly well-placed to benefit from the removal of tariffs. The company, which produces whiskey using Irish oak barrels, had been impacted by the previous tariff regime, with Scottish whisky gaining an unfair advantage due to its exemption.

Burren Distillers' director, Gerard O'Neill, stated that 'no tariffs are good', and that the removal of the tariff will help keep costs down for exporters. The company is currently in talks with a US distributor, and hopes to increase sales in the US market as a result of the tariff removal.