September is National Bourbon Heritage Month, and Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. marked the occasion, noting that consumer interest in the category has soared in recent years. In 2020, more than 28 million 9-liter cases of American Whiskey were sold in the United States, generating over $4.3 billion in revenue for distillers.
But while the domestic market for the category has experienced significant growth, the export market has been severely impacted by an unrelated trade dispute over steel and aluminum between the U.S. and the EU and UK. While progress has been made in other trade disputes impacting distilled spirits on both sides of the Atlantic, American Whiskeys, including Bourbon, now remain the only spirits category with tariffs still in place, putting America’s native spirit at a competitive disadvantage in the EU and UK.
“Since the imposition of retaliatory tariffs in 2018, American Whiskey exports to the UK have decreased 52% and to the EU by 32%,” said Chris Swonger, DISCUS president /CEO. “We are hopeful this tariff issue will be resolved by the end of the year, so that adult consumers in two of our largest export markets can continue to enjoy one of our country’s greatest exports. Especially during Bourbon Heritage Month, we need toasts – not tariffs!”