From BBC News · · 2m
Trump lifts Irish whiskey tariffs on his way out
Two days in Ireland ended with a trophy, a tariff cut, and a fight over unity he says is only natural.
In brief
Two days in Ireland ended with a trophy, a tariff cut, and a fight over unity he says is only natural. The whiskey tariff cut levels the playing field between distillers north and south, but Trump's united Ireland talk is what Dublin and Belfast will be arguing about all week. Originally reported by BBC News.
Tariffs off, trophy up
Trump announced he will lift every tariff on Irish whiskey, saying it minutes before handing Shane Lowry the Irish Open winner's trophy at his Doonbeg resort.
“On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off Irish whiskey.”
Who was paying what
Whiskey from the Republic carries the standard 15% tariff on EU goods entering the US. Whiskey from Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK pays nothing.
Everybody's been bugging me
Trump said he had raised the issue with Taoiseach Micheal Martin and with Lowry himself, framing the decision as a favour to people who kept asking.
“They are saying would you do me a favour? It's so unfair what's going on.”
The northern advantage ends
Trump cut tariffs on all UK-made whiskey back in May. Removing them for the Republic wipes out the edge that gave some Northern Ireland distillers.
A Dundalk bottling quirk
Great Northern Distillery in County Louth makes whiskey under licence for brands across the island, so young NI distillers bottling that liquid were classed as EU producers and missed the earlier cut.
One of the naturals
Speaking at Doonbeg, Trump repeated his support for joining Northern Ireland and the Republic, calling it his own opinion and a fairly routine comment.
“It seems that one of the naturals of all time is to put them together.”
Scotland can wait
Asked about Scottish independence, he declined. On the argument that no unity poll comes until a majority in Northern Ireland would back it, he shrugged it off.
“Everybody says that and then things happen.”
Martin plays it down
The taoiseach said the remarks were no surprise and that some of the response went too far, describing it as Trump's settled view of how the island should be organised.
“I think some of the reaction is an overreaction.”
Ten thousand in the streets
More than 10,000 people marched through Dublin on Saturday. About 100 protesters bussed into Doonbeg on Sunday, and three women were arrested for trespassing on the golf links.
A minister on the line
Rev Steven Foster, a Methodist minister from Galway, joined the Doonbeg protest and said the warmth of the welcome sent the wrong message.
“Trump is the exact opposite of everything I stand for as a follower of Jesus.”
Doonbeg's own Intel
Locals counter that the resort employs more than 300 people in a corner of west Clare with nothing else at that scale, keeping young people from leaving for good.
“You've got big companies in Dublin, like Intel, the golf course is our Intel down here.”
The takeaway
The whiskey tariff cut levels the playing field between distillers north and south, but Trump's united Ireland talk is what Dublin and Belfast will be arguing about all week.
