Trump Policy May Hurt U.S. Bourbon Supply

FILE - In this May 20, 2009 file photo, a glass of Jack Daniel’s whiskey is examined after being taken from an aging barrel in one of the barrel houses at the distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. Producers of Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey scored another round of U.S. sales growth in 2014, while exports topped $1 billion for the second straight year, a distilled spirits trade group said Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
A glass of Jack Daniel's whiskey is examined after being taken from an aging barrel in one of the barrel houses at the distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
FILE - In this May 20, 2009 file photo, a glass of Jack Daniel’s whiskey is examined after being taken from an aging barrel in one of the barrel houses at the distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. Producers of Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey scored another round of U.S. sales growth in 2014, while exports topped $1 billion for the second straight year, a distilled spirits trade group said Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
A glass of Jack Daniel's whiskey is examined after being taken from an aging barrel in one of the barrel houses at the distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

Trump Policy May Hurt U.S. Bourbon Supply

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President Donald Trump wants to follow through on his campaign promise to help U.S. factory workers by slapping tariffs on foreign steel, an effort meant to hurt China. But the questionable business decision may backfire: the European Union promises to retaliate by slapping tariffs on select U.S. exports—particularly bourbon. The move will likely impact the spirits market.

Worldview talks to Fred Minnick, author of Bourbon: The Rise, Fall & Rebirth of an American Whiskey, to get his take on how Trump’s economic policy may affect U.S. liquor exports.