Irish Whiskey to benefit from reduced import duty in China

Pernod Ricard, parent company of Irish Distillers, considers China a high-potential, “must-win” market for its spirits portfolio, including Irish whiskey. Picture: Aidan Crawley/Bloomberg

Irish whiskey distillers received an unexpected advantage early this month when China’s Customs Tariff Commission announced a reduction in import tariffs on whisky and whiskey products, lowering the rate from 10% to 5%, effective 2 February 2026. 

While initially highlighted as a deal to benefit UK/Scotch whisky, following high-level discussions between the United Kingdom and China during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent meeting with Premier Xi Jinping in Beijing, the China Ministry of Finance confirmed the reduced tariff applies uniformly to all whisky and whiskey categories. Thus, Irish whiskey will benefit alongside Scotch, Japanese, and US brands.