Irish Whiskey Association Statement on Bord Bia Figures
Eoin Ó Catháin, Director of the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA), the Ibec group representing the sector, said:
"The IWA welcomes the publication of Bord Bia’s Performance and Prospects report. As outlined in this report, 2025 was another exceptional year for Irish agri-food exports overall and for the Irish drinks sector, with the export value of Irish drinks exceeding €2 billion for the second year running. This success is hard-fought; Irish drinks exporters have shown resilience in the face of evolving consumer preferences and changes in the trading environment across key markets.
The development and strengthening of new markets has been essential to this solid performance. The IWA will continue to do all we can to support market diversification to safeguard current and future growth.
Regarding Irish Whiskey, the introduction of a 15% tariff on exports to the USA- our biggest market- remains a challenge for our sector, with exports falling 5% in 2025. We hope that 2026 will see renewed efforts to return to the 'zero-for-zero' trading arrangement with the USA, for the benefit of transatlantic trade for both American and Irish Whiskey producers.
The IWA commends the agencies- in particular Bord Bia and the Irish government- and, above all, the exporters themselves for their contribution to another landmark year for Irish agri-food exports."
