# Trump lifts tariffs on Irish whiskey, hits Canada

> A golf trophy handover in Doonbeg turned into a tariff win for Irish distillers, while Canadian booze got banned outright.
- Title: Trump lifts tariffs on Irish whiskey, hits Canada · Fortune
- Summary: A golf trophy handover in Doonbeg turned into a tariff win for Irish distillers, while Canadian booze got banned outright. Trump's trade policy is running on…
- Keywords: tariffs, irish whiskey, canada, trade war, trump, lifts, Irish, whiskey, hits, Fortune
- Source: Fortune — https://fortune.com/2026/09/14/donald-trump-irish-whiskey-tariffs-canada-trade-war
- Author: Joshua Hong
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: tariffs, irish whiskey, canada, trade war, trump
## A tariff cut at the trophy table
At the Irish Open hosted at his own Doonbeg resort, Trump handed Shane Lowry the winner's trophy and announced Irish whiskey would go tariff-free.

> and I said, on behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off
## Everybody's been bugging me
Trump framed the decision as a personal favor, crediting the Taoiseach, Lowry, and assorted people who asked him directly to drop the duty.

> Would you do me a favor? It's so unfair what's going on.
## Ten percent, gone
Irish whiskey carried the standard 10% EU import tariff, down from 15% in July. Irish distillers had been losing ground to U.K. rivals, whose whiskey was exempted back in April.
## Half a billion at stake
Irish whiskey exports were worth nearly $520 million last year, and Irish distillers bought over $90 million of American whiskey. The trade group called the move a win for both sides.

> This relationship represents thousands of jobs and millions in investment on both sides of the Atlantic
## Canada gets the opposite
Trump hit about $20 billion in Canadian goods with 50% tariffs, plus outright import bans on alcohol, dairy and vehicles. Canadian spirits exports were worth roughly $687 million in 2025.
## Retaliation that cuts both ways
Canada answered with dollar-for-dollar duties on U.S. steel, clothing and furniture. Oxford Economics expects it to raise costs for Canadian producers and shoppers more than it protects them.

> Canada's new retaliatory tariffs will help some industries but hurt most and weaken economic growth across the country
## Key takeaway

Trump's trade policy is running on personal access, not process. Irish distillers got a tariff cut at a golf tournament; Canada got a 50% wall and an import ban.