Pour One Out for Purchasing Power This St. Patrick's Day
Trump’s tariffs will kill the global trade that makes the holiday’s cultural celebration possible.
Happy St. Patrick's Day? Unfortunately, President Donald Trump's tariffs on booze and other party supplies are a direct attack on Americans' right to party. The increased cost of beer, whiskey, and festive green knick-knacks will further dampen their spirits.
Trump recently threatened a 200 percent tariff on booze imported from the European Union. If implemented, this move will reduce supply and increase the price of Americans' favorite Irish beer and whiskey varieties. "The imposition of tariffs will impact our businesses and our consumers," said Eoin O Cathain, director of the Irish Whiskey Association. "The trade war puts jobs, investments and businesses at risk and has the potential to be devastating for Irish whiskey."
Uncertainty of future tariffs has already lowered consumer confidence, according to the National Retail Federation. February saw lower retail sales and consumer spending soon after Trump announced his first round of tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China.
But Trump's trade war keeps expanding, and many Americans' favorite beers and spirits could soon be victims. Beer imported from Mexico, which makes up 84 percent of total beer imports into the United States, faces a 25 percent tariff set to go into effect on April 2 after numerous delays. (With Cinco de Mayo fast approaching, these tariffs will also affect the $5.2 billion of tequila and $93 million of mescal imported into the United States.)
Don't forget to add the extra 25 percent tax on all aluminum imports that went into effect earlier this month. All beverage consumers—boozy or otherwise—can expect to see their tab go up.
Of course, no St. Patrick's Day party is complete without jubilant green and gold trinkets and decorations. While China is a leading decoration supplier and exported $8.24 billion worth of party goods in 2023, the United States is a leading importer and purchased $5.35 billion in foreign party decorations that same year. These goods now face an additional 20 percent in trade costs, thanks to Trump's retaliatory tariff hike at the beginning of March.
Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended Trump's trade war and insisted that "access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American Dream." Although cheap goods might not be the essence of his particular dream, it's up to individual Americans to decide what they need to make their dream a reality. Pulling off the rager of the century certainly depends on affordable, abundant goods
The characteristic green and revelrous St. Patrick's Day celebrations known and loved today are of uniquely American origin. Irish-American immigrants transformed the solemn religious holiday into a celebration of their Irish identity in America after nearly 2 million immigrated following Ireland's potato famine in 1845. Over time, the celebrations took on an attitude of boisterous defiance in the face of anti-Irish sentiment. However, as the Irish slowly assimilated into American culture, those without Celtic heritage joined in on the festivities.
The evolution of St. Patrick's Day is a story of how assimilation, not conformity, is at the heart of American values. But looming and uncertain tariff increases may dampen the cultural diversity and global trade party, and come at a time when fewer Americans are reaping the rewards of a much-needed jolly good time.
