President Donald Trump has confirmed plans to abolish tariffs on whiskey produced in the Republic of Ireland, a decision made as he wrapped up his two-day trip to the island.
John Campbell, an economics and business editor at BBC News Northern Ireland, noted that lifting these duties would remove the cost benefit some distillers north of the border held over their competitors based in Derry City and Strabane District Council areas or elsewhere in the Republic.
The President revealed the change before presenting the winner's trophy to Shane Lowry at the Trump International golf resort in Doonbeg, Co Clare, where he observed the final round of the Irish Open.
Earlier this month, Mr Trump stated that producers located north of the border would be covered by the elimination of duties on all whiskey manufactured within the United Kingdom.
During his second day in Ireland, the President attended the concluding stage of the golf tournament before travelling to Dublin on Saturday to meet Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President Catherine Connolly.
Currently, spirits distilled in the Republic are subject to a 15% tariff when entering the United States, whereas whiskey made in Northern Ireland or other parts of the UK faces no such charge.
Existing supply chains across the island have meant that some brands from Northern Ireland could not fully capitalise on the earlier reduction in duties.
Newer distilleries often rely on bottling products created by other firms while their own stock reaches maturity, a practice dominated by the Great Northern Distillery in Dundalk, County Louth.