Trump pledges to lift Irish whiskey tariff

On Sept. 13, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump used the trophy ceremony of the Irish Open in Doonbeg, Ireland, to announce a planned change in U.S. trade policy toward Irish whiskey. Standing at the prizegiving event, he said he intends to remove a 15% tariff currently applied to Irish whiskey imported into the United States. The announcement was delivered in front of the tournament audience, giving the pledge a highly public setting.

During his remarks, Trump described how the issue had been raised with him repeatedly, stating that "everybody’s been bugging" him about the tariff. He then declared, "On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off Irish whiskey." The statement framed the move as a direct response to those appeals, while presenting it as a formal commitment made in a public forum.

The tariff at the center of the announcement is identified as a 15% levy on Irish whiskey imports from the European Union. This means Irish whiskey entering the U.S. market from EU territory is currently subject to this additional charge. The specific reference to the 15% rate underscores that Trump’s pledge targets a defined and existing trade measure rather than a general category of duties.

By singling out this particular tariff, the announcement ties directly to a well-defined product and trade flow. The focus on Irish whiskey also connects the policy discussion to the Irish Open venue, highlighting the product’s national and regional significance in the context of the event.

Although the president stated his intention to remove the tariff, reports following the announcement indicated that no timetable was immediately available. There was no clarification on when the tariff would actually be lifted or what administrative or legal steps would be required to enact the change. As a result, the statement stands as a policy intention rather than a completed action.

Officials did not provide further implementation details in the immediate aftermath of the remarks. Questions remain about the exact process for removing the 15% levy and how soon importers of Irish whiskey might see any change in their tariff obligations. Until such details are set out, the existing tariff regime remains in place.

The setting of the Irish Open prizegiving in Doonbeg gave the announcement both symbolic and practical visibility. The president’s explicit reference to being pressed on the matter suggests that the tariff has been a notable concern for interested parties. The direct, on-stage pledge to “take the tariffs off” signals an intention to address those concerns through a specific policy adjustment.

At the same time, the lack of immediate follow-up detail means that the future status of the 15% tariff depends on subsequent formal actions. The current situation combines a clear public commitment with an undefined timeline, leaving stakeholders watching for concrete steps that would translate the announcement into an operative change in U.S. tariff policy on Irish whiskey.