President Trump’s decision, announced
while visiting his golf course in Ireland, was the latest shift in his trade
policies.
·
Tariff
removal pledge: US
President Donald Trump
on 13 September 2026
pledged to eliminate the 10%
US tariff on Irish whiskey.
·
Announcement
in Ireland: Trump
made the announcement at his golf course in County Clare, during the Irish Open, receiving
loud applause from the crowd.
·
Reason
cited: Trump
said Irish representatives and others had repeatedly asked him to remove the
tariff, which they considered unfair.
·
Ireland
welcomes move: Irish
Deputy Prime Minister Simon
Harris described the announcement as a welcome development of economic
significance, citing positive engagement with the US
administration on tariffs.
·
Trump's
tariff strategy: The
move highlights Trump's frequently changing tariff policy, where tariffs have
been imposed, threatened
or withdrawn depending on negotiations and interactions with
foreign governments and business interests.
·
Similar
Scotch whisky decision: The
Irish whiskey announcement follows Trump's decision earlier in 2026 to roll back tariffs on Scotch
whisky, after hosting King
Charles III for a state dinner in Washington.
·
Other
tariff rollbacks: Trump
has previously removed tariffs on products including beef, tomatoes, bananas and coffee,
after initially imposing or threatening trade restrictions.
·
Reunification
comments:
During his Ireland visit, Trump also publicly supported the possibility of Northern Ireland and the Republic of
Ireland unifying, saying it would be a “natural” outcome.
·
Break
with US tradition: His
remarks represented a departure from the longstanding US policy of avoiding taking sides on
the highly sensitive reunification question.
·
Political
backlash:
Trump’s comments drew criticism from allies including Nigel Farage and the
leader of Northern Ireland's principal pro-Union party.
·
Sensitive
issue: Irish
reunification remains highly divisive in Northern Ireland because of concerns
about a return to the violence associated with “The Troubles.”
·
Crowd
reaction:
Trump's tariff announcement was followed by chants of “U.S.A.!” from the
crowd.
Trump's
Irish whiskey decision demonstrates his use of tariffs as a flexible
negotiating instrument, with the 10% duty now set for removal. The move also
shows how trade policy can become intertwined with Trump's personal diplomacy
and political messaging during foreign visits.
President
Trump on Sunday (13.09.2026) pledged to eliminate tariffs on Irish whiskey,
drawing loud applause from fans gathered at his golf course in County Clare.
The
president’s pledge to cut the 10 percent tariff was the latest example of Mr.
Trump’s whipsaw approach to global trade, and how he often adjusts his tariff
policy based on personal interactions with foreign leaders or business
interests.
“Everybody’s
been bugging me,” Mr. Trump told those gathered at the Irish Open golf
tournament. “They are saying, ‘Would you do me a favor?
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 Irish whiskey.’”
Simon
Harris, the deputy prime minister of Ireland, called Mr. Trump’s promise a
“welcome announcement of economic significance from President Trump this
evening that reflects the very positive engagement we’ve had with the U.S.
administration on tariffs over the 18 months.”
Mr.
Trump has frequently used tariff policy to influence other countries. He has
repeatedly threatened and rescinded tariffs, sending officials from other
countries scrambling. For much of his presidency, he has argued that other
countries are taking advantage of the United States by selling cheap goods. But
he sometimes backs off, as he did last year, lifting tariffs on foreign
products, including beef, tomatoes, bananas and coffee.
The
announcement echoed a similar move this spring, when Mr. Trump announced he was
rolling back tariffs on Scotch whisky after hosting King Charles III for a
state dinner in Washington.
Almost
immediately after arriving in Dublin, Mr. Trump appeared intent on making
announcements that would appease — or disrupt — his new audience in Ireland. On
Saturday, Mr. Trump broke with decades of U.S. neutrality when he said it would
be “fantastic” if Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland unified.
On
Sunday, Mr. Trump doubled down on his endorsement of reunification.
“I’ve
always loved the people of Ireland, and it just seems to me that you have
Northern Ireland and you have Ireland, and it would seem to me that one of the
naturals of all time is, put them together,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s only my
opinion. And by the way, many people agree.”
Mr.
Trump’s eagerness to share his opinion immediately caused a stir during a trip
that initially appeared mostly focused on golf. Right-wing allies like Nigel
Farage, the head of the populist party Reform U.K, and the head of the main
party in Northern Ireland that supports remaining in the United Kingdom
criticized his comments.
Reunification
is a highly divisive issue in Northern Ireland, where some fear a return to the
era of violence known as “The Troubles.” The British carved Northern Ireland
out of the island of Ireland after the Republic of Ireland became independent.
And
while a majority of citizens of the Republic of Ireland support reunification,
successive Irish governments — as well as U.S. presidents — have skirted the
polarizing issue.
But
surrounded by golf fans at his course on Sunday, Mr. Trump appeared intent on
leaving Ireland with a grand ovation. After he announced his lifting of
tariffs, the crowd broke into chants of “U.S.A.!”