The Irish Whiskey Association, the Ibec group that represents the sector, has said that it "regrets" the announcement of US President Donald Trump on tariffs.

Last night (Wednesday, April 2), President Trump announced a series of “reciprocal tariffs” on other nations, including 20% on European Union imports to the US.

This will result in a 20% tariff being placed on Irish whiskey, spirits and liqueurs imports in the US.

Eoin Ó Catháin, director of Irish Whiskey Association said that "the effects of this tariff will be immediate".

"Should an appropriate resolution not be found, this tariff may have a detrimental effect on the position of the category in the US market, undoing decades of success and growth.

"The US has been the engine of growth for Irish whiskey and spirits and now represents 41% of Irish drinks exports every year.

"The total value of the US market for the Irish drinks sector is €865 million per annum," he said.

Ó Catháin added that the EU and US governments introduced tariff-free trade in spirits in 1997 and saw the value of the sector increase exponentially, on both sides of the Atlantic, in the years that followed.

"This benefitted European and American distilleries, distributors and consumers alike – the EU and US spirits sectors are each other’s biggest market, with billions in transatlantic trade every year supporting millions of jobs, representing millions of euros in joint investment.

"From 1997 to 2018, a period when there were no tariffs on EU/US spirits, the combined value of both the US and the EU spirits sector increased by 450%," he noted.

"In 2010, there were just four working distilleries on the island of Ireland. We recently celebrated the opening of Ireland’s 50th distillery, and today our export value worldwide exceeds €1 billion euro," Ó Catháin said.

The Irish Whiskey Association director said that "our high-quality jobs cannot be reshored or repatriated to the US".

"Our sectors are truly interconnected. There are many examples of EU and US distillers working together in developing portfolios, operating facilities, creating additional jobs and new investments in both jurisdictions.

"While this has been hugely beneficial for our growth up until now, this also leaves us vulnerable in a dispute where tariffs are placed on our products as they cross the Atlantic," he said.

The association has urged both the EU and US to "work together in good faith in seeking an agreement which will avoid tariffs and the devastating impact they may have".

"We have engaged extensively with the Irish government and the European Commission on this issue, requesting that spirits and casks be excluded from any trade dispute," Ó Catháin said.