newYou can listen to Fox’s news articles!
America’s proud history as one of the world’s top whisky producers is at serious risk from the trade war between the US and the European Union. If it’s not enough for Canada to tear our products off the shelf, the EU threat of a 50% tariff on American whiskey, set to take effect on April 13, is now at stake decades of progress in Europe and market expansion.
President Donald Trump is right: We must exchange the world in a fair and mutual way. It is a model that has worked well in the spirit industry for decades. Small whiskey stills like me rely on the president to sign contracts to ensure zero tariffs on American whiskey starting from the EU.
Many are at stake, including work, local agriculture, centuries of progress and pride in our crafts. Whiskey in American history became the main distillery of rye whiskey after George Washington himself presidency. However, our legacy as a distiller nation has not been as robust as it is today.
Stocks rise after Trump teases “better” tariff policy
Over the past 20 years, the national distillery explosion has elevated the diversity and reputation of American whiskey to new heights, from 50 in 2005 to over 3,000 today, expanding this subtle art to small towns such as Swisher, Iowa. From these communities, our unique products have gained an international fanbase.
Jeff Quint is the founder and CEO of Cedar Ridge Distillery in Swisher, Iowa, and producer of Cedar Ridge Iowa Bourbon.
The main product of these distinctive products is bourbon, which by definition can be distilled not only in Kentucky but in any state in the United States. American whiskeys such as bourbon were exported from 37 states in 2024. In recent years, bourbon has become a foreign sensation, gaining alongside other national categories such as Scotch (a distinctive Scottish product) and tequila (a distinctive Mexican product).
These international markets are essential for the growth of small distilleries. Here in the US, there aren’t that many bourbons we can sell. The 50% tariff on EU bourbon is being kept at the same time as it has been rapidly increasing prices and restraining them. Many American distilleries are forced to halt exports, which could lead to American bourbon overpower.
For more information about Fox News, click here
I have experienced a customs stab wound firsthand. In 2016, My Craft Distillery, Cedar Ridge, began the painstaking but exciting process of establishing a brand in the EU. It takes three to five years to find foreign distribution partners, promote the brand, and fight for shelves space in new markets.
Just as it got its sea legs in Europe in 2018, the EU was devastated when it retaliated against US steel and aluminum tariffs with a 25% tariff on American whiskey. Our business was a collateral loss in a trade dispute that had nothing to do with us. The choice was to raise prices to cover the fees, eat costs yourself, lose money, or get out of the market completely. As many others have done, we made the painful decision to pull out.
At the time, the EU was the largest American whisky export market in the United States. However, between 2018 and 2021, our exports plummeted 20% from $552 million to $440 million. The EU suspended tariffs in 2021, causing exports to surge even higher. Last year it reached $699 million. However, many small distilleries like me have been away from the market due to uncertainty about whether these tariffs would be reimposed.
That uncertainty is cryptonite for small businesses. We remain paralyzed and we can’t embark on a 3-5-year investment journey when we find out that the rug can be pulled out at any time. This hurts not only our family and our 65 employees, but also our local Iowa farm where we buy grain, American manufacturers who make barrels and bottles, and other downstream industries that support us.
Click here to get the Fox News app
We are relying on this administration to fight for us, restoring the certainty of our trade relations, first before the deadline of April 13th, and then in Canada and other important markets. There are also many markets where we don’t have fair and mutual trade, and we hope that the Trump administration will open those doors for our great American products.
Above is nothing more than an American whiskey heritage. It has been out of centuries and is aged perfectly.
