Donald Trump claims he will remove tariffs from Irish whiskey in Irish Open speech

Crowds cheered Mr Trump and chanted 'USA' as he told them he was removing the tariffs

US president Donald Trump presents Shane Lowry with the Irish Open trophy. Picture: INPHO/Dan Clohessy

US president Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that he was removing US tariffs on Irish whiskey as he brought his two-day visit to Ireland to a close.

Crowds cheered Mr Trump as he made the announcement on the 18th green during the prize-winning ceremony at the Amgen Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf resort in Co Clare.

He told the crowd he had discussed tariffs with Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

He said: “Everybody’s been bugging me.

“They are saying, 'Would you do me a favour? 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.” 

Whiskey made in Ireland sold into the US is subject to a 10% tariff. 

Lowry joked at a post-tournament press conference: “Irish distillers better be sending me a cheque soon — that must be worth a few quid with them.

“There was a big dinner last night, and I was there and, and we had a talk, but he didn’t tell me that he had changed his plans for me.”

Responding to Mr Trump's comments, the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) said it "heartily welcomes" the removal of tariffs.

"Nothing exemplifies the US-Ireland trade relationship better than Irish whiskey," the IWA said on Sunday night. 

"Last year, Irish whiskey exports to the USA were worth €450m, while Irish distillers collectively purchased €80m worth of US whiskey casks. This relationship represents thousands of jobs and millions in investment on both sides of the Atlantic, and the return to tariff-free trade for our Irish whiskey distillers will strengthen this success and lead to further growth and investment.

"We will continue to work with our EU and US counterparts to secure a return to the zero-for-zero arrangement for all drinks exports.

"The IWA would like to thank all those who advocated tirelessly for our sector, in Dublin, Brussels, Washington, DC, and elsewhere and look forward to seeing this announcement fully implemented."

The US president, wearing a white baseball cap with USA written on the front, presented the Irish Open trophy to winner Shane Lowry. 

The Marine One helicopter will soon take Mr Trump from the course to Shannon Airport, where he will depart from Ireland.

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Trump doubled down on comments in support of Irish unity, stating it was “one of the naturals of all time” to put the two countries together.

Mr Trump also dismissed the diplomatic backlash to his remarks, insisting he “loved” his comments.

However, he refused to answer questions about a timeline for a border poll and also avoided a question about Scottish independence.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there had been an “overreaction” to the US president’s remarks.