Since "Liberation Day," when President Trump began imposing tariffs on a global basis, American whiskey producers have continued to navigate a difficult landscape marked by trade friction, retaliatory pressures, market uncertainty, and uneven conditions in key export markets, said Michael Bilello, President/CEO, American Whiskey Association..

While the category’s long-term strengths remain intact, the period since Liberation Day has reinforced how important it is for American whiskey to have reliable access to customers abroad and a fair opportunity to compete in global markets, he added.

“American whiskey is not in structural decline,” Bilello said. “One year after Liberation Day, the data and the broader market experience tell a more complete story.

"This is a category moving through a period of recalibration after years of strong growth, and the past year has reinforced just how important market access, stability, and long-term confidence are to the future of America’s native spirit.”

AWA said the industry review over the past year shows that American whiskey remains the leading U.S. spirits export category and continues to benefit from powerful long-term fundamentals, including premiumization, brand strength, authenticity, and durable global consumer interest.

“The real story over the last year has been the resilience of American whiskey’s long-term value proposition,” Bilello said. “This remains a premium-led category with deep consumer appeal, strong identity, and global growth potential. But no industry can perform at its full potential when market access is uncertain and trade conditions remain unstable.”

AWA also emphasized that the impact of trade disruption reaches far beyond distillers alone. American whiskey supports a broad domestic supply chain and economic ecosystem that includes farmers, foresters, cooperages, glass manufacturers, logistics providers, restaurants, bars, tourism, and rural communities across the United States.

“American whiskey is an American manufacturing, agricultural, and export success story,” Bilello said. “When trade barriers restrict access to important markets, the consequences do not stop at the distillery gate. The effects ripple through local economies, jobs, investment decisions, and communities that depend on this industry.”

“If we want American whiskey to become the world’s whiskey, then fair and dependable access to global markets must remain a top priority,” Bilello said. “The past year has shown both the strength of this category and the risks of an unstable trade environment. The opportunity is still there. The demand is still there. The question is whether policy will support American producers in fully realizing it,” he said.