Some trade agreements between large nations benefit a wide swath of industries across both countries. In the case of a recent deal between India and the United States, the impact might be a bit more specific to one location. Reuters reports that last week, the Indian government announced a reduction in its tariffs on bourbon, with the total amount dropping from 150% to 100%.
Given that the vast majority of the world’s bourbon comes from Kentucky, this is being — unerstandably — hailed as a very big deal by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. The organization’s president, Eric Gregory, hailed the move as “a historic accomplishment.”
“Thoughtful agreements like this will help protect Kentucky jobs and bring a taste of our state to more communities across the globe,” said Representative Andy Barr, whose sixth district includes Bourbon County itself. “America’s distinct spirit will now be more accessible in a market that will open doors for our state’s signature Bourbon industry.”
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The history of Double Double Oaked, a highly coveted but distillery-only release (until now)Meanwhile, India’s domestic whiskey production is also evolving, with Indian single malts outselling their foreign counterparts there in 2023. While tariffs are part of the story around whiskey in the U.S. and India, there’s also been room for collaborations — including a recent spirit from Bardstown Bourbon Company that used whiskey barrels from the Indian distillery Amrut.
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