WASHINGTON — A new report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) shows American liquor exports reached a record high of $2.4 billion last year. The increase includes a 39% jump in shipments to the European Union.


What You Need To Know

  • A new report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States shows exports of American liquors to the European Union grew by 39% last year

  • The report said that was due in part to “concerns over the potential return of tariffs on American Whiskeys in 2025”

  • American whiskey accounted for more than half of all U.S. spirits exports last year despite a slight decline

  • Kentucky was the second highest spirits exporter in the country in 2024

The report said that was due in part to “concerns over the potential return of tariffs on American Whiskeys in 2025.”

Industry representatives said the surge likely reflects businesses on both sides of the Atlantic upping orders and shipments ahead of the potential return of retaliatory tariffs this year raising the cost of U.S. spirits.

In President Donald Trump’s first term, he placed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and the European Union responded with a 25% tariff on American whiskeys, such as bourbon.

The report released Thursday said that retaliatory tariff caused whiskey exports to the EU to drop 20%, from $552 million in 2018 to about $440 million in 2021. 

After the EU suspended the tariff in 2022, exports rebounded nearly 60% to around $700 million last year.

Long before the presidential election, an April 1 deadline was in place for the EU to reimpose its retaliatory whiskey tariffs at 50%.

While they appear to be on hold for now, what happens next in Trump’s trade war is unclear.

Canada imposed a retaliatory tariff on U.S. spirits and some liquor stores still won’t sell American products there because of the tariffs imposed by the U.S.

“Unfortunately, ongoing trade disputes unrelated to our sector have caused uncertainty, keeping many U.S. distillers on the sidelines and curtailing sales growth,” Chris Swonger, DISCUS president & CEO said in a statement. “The EU’s recent decision not to reimpose a retaliatory tariff on American Whiskeys and other U.S. spirits is a positive first step toward getting the U.S.-EU spirits sectors back to zero-for-zero tariffs.”

The report also shows American whiskey accounted for more than half of all U.S. spirits exports last year despite a slight decline, and Kentucky, home of the bourbon industry, was the second highest spirits exporter in the country.