Source: (Photo by Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — You might crack open a cold one and not think twice about the jobs and money at stake. Your senator is trying to take care of that business on Capitol Hill.
Indiana Senator Todd Young, along with Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democrat senators Catherine Masto and Tim Kaine, want the Biden Administration to negotiate a new trade deal that would sidestep planned European Union tariffs on US distilled spirits.
The plan is for the 50-percent tariff to take effect beginning January 1st. Senator Young argues that would put too much financial strain on domestic spirit businesses and their workers.
“We are deeply concerned that a lack of a permanent solution risks the re-imposition of tariffs,” say the senators in a letter released Wednesday, “spirits have had a significant cultural impact in our country, and currently have a profound impact on the U.S. economy. In 2022 alone, U.S. distilled spirit exports reached $2.06 billion. But the impact of the retaliatory tariffs was devastating…Our belief is that the imposition of additional tariffs on this industry is detrimental. There are mutual benefits in finding a path forward, and our belief is that spirits and wines are a point where there can be consensus to limit the damage for all parties.”
Indiana’s whiskey and spirit industry supports over 26,000 jobs and $2.9 billion dollars in economic impact. The Hoosier State ranks sixth for states that export distilled spirits.
