President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he would be removing a 15% tariff on Irish whiskey during the trophy ceremony at the Irish Open golf tournament held in Ireland. The tariff, part of broader import taxes imposed on European Union goods, had been a point of contention for Irish exporters.

Trump stated that he was prompted to make the decision after being asked about the tariff while attending the event, the first time a sitting U.S. president has participated in the Irish Open. “Everybody’s been bugging me” to lift the tariff, Trump said, adding, “On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off.”

The move elicited positive reactions from spectators at the tournament. Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin publicly welcomed the announcement, emphasizing its potential benefit for the Irish economy and trade relations between Ireland and the United States.

The 15% duty on Irish whiskey was part of a larger set of tariffs on EU products introduced by the Trump administration, aimed at addressing trade imbalances and intellectual property concerns. In May, Trump had also hinted at reducing tariffs on UK whiskey, including Scotch and spirits produced in Northern Ireland.

The decision to lift the Irish whiskey tariff marks a notable shift in the U.S. trade stance towards Irish goods and could have significant implications for the distilling industry, which has faced challenges due to elevated costs from the import tax. It remains to be seen whether this removal will be formalized through legislative channels and how it might affect ongoing trade discussions between the United States and the European Union.