Türkiye removes 70% retaliatory tariff on US spirits
The 70% retaliatory tariff placed on American spirits exports to Türkiye in 2018 has been removed.
Türkiye slapped a 70% retaliatory tariff on US-made spirits in June 2018 in response to the US’s steel and aluminium tariffs, which were introduced by president Donald Trump during his first term as president.
Türkiye originally set the tariff at 70% and doubled it to 140% on 15 August 2018, before reducing it back to 70% on 21 May 2019.
According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (Discus), since the tariffs were introduced, exports of American spirits to Türkiye have dropped by more than a third (nearly 36%), from approximately US$17 million in 2018 to US$11m in 2024.
Discus president and CEO Chris Swonger welcomed the removal.
Swonger said: “We greatly appreciate president Trump’s strong leadership in securing the removal of Türkiye’s 70% retaliatory tariff on US spirits.
“Türkiye currently ranks as the 27th largest market for US spirits due to its prohibitively high retaliatory tariff. Lifting this burdensome tariff significantly increases access to the Turkish market and unlocks valuable new export opportunities for US distillers.
“We urge the Trump administration to build on this momentum by securing the permanent return to zero for zero tariffs for distilled spirits products with our key trading partners.
“The continued long-term growth for the US spirits industry is dependent on getting back to tariff-free trade in our major markets.”
Related news
US tariffs cost Scotch whisky £20m a month
