Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) applauded the Biden administration for heeding her call to protect the millions of U.S. jobs that rely on American whiskey and spirits producers. Earlier this month, Cortez Masto led a bipartisan group of Senators urging the administration to take urgent action in response to the European Union (EU)’s to implement a 50% tariff on American whiskey imports on January 1, 2024, and today the EU announced they would pause these retaliatory tariffs for 15 months in response to U.S. pressure.

“There are more than 19,000 Nevadans whose jobs depend on the American spirits industry, and I’m pleased to see the Administration taking action to protect them from these harsh new tariffs on our exports,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I will continue to advocate to protect this vital industry, which helps drive our economy in Nevada and across the country.”

Retaliatory tariffs by the EU have cost domestic sprits distillers and winemakers billions of dollars since 2018, and the U.S. needs a permanent solution to safeguard over 1.7 million production, distribution, and hospitality jobs that rely on the industry. The spirits industry supports over 19,000 jobs and over $1.6 billion in economic activity in the state of Nevada alone. The senators’ bipartisan letter urges U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to negotiate a deal to permanently remove retaliatory tariffs on all American-made sprits and wines.