US spirits producers target Tokyo and Taiwan
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) recently led a trade tour involving 18 US distilleries to East Asia, in a bid to champion American spirits in the region.
This comes as part of a broader effort of American spirits producers to expand sales in Asia as trade tensions and uncertainty continue to affect key export markets in Canada and Europe.
Japan is the seventh-largest export market for US distilled spirits and the fourth-largest for American whiskey, with US spirits exports to Japan hitting more than $73million in 2025, according to DISCUS.
Taiwan has also recorded growth. Exports of US spirits rose from just over $2m to $4.1m over the past year, while American whiskey exports increased from $1.5m to $2.2m.
The visit, which took place from 1-5 June, formed part of DISCUS’ “Discover US Spirits” campaign, supported by the US Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program. The initiative included trade events and media tastings in Tokyo and Taiwan, where buyers, importers and hospitality professionals sampled products from American craft distilleries.
Excitement for US spirits in East Asia
More than 200 buyers, importers, media representatives and hospitality professionals attended the events, including a tasting at The Okura Tokyo for members of the drinks trade and government officials.
“It is an exciting time for American spirits in East Asia,” said Joel Matticks, export promotions manager at Discus. He said Japan and Taiwan represented promising opportunities for future export growth.
The trade mission comes as US distillers seek new markets following a sharp decline in exports to Canada and continued uncertainty over trade with Europe.
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Exports to Canada fell by more than 70% between March and December 2025 after several Canadian provinces removed American-made spirits from retail shelves in response to US trade measures.
Additionally, the retaliatory European tariffs on American spirits remain in a state of flux.
Meanwhile, outside of Canada and Europe, exports of American whiskey lifted by 13.2% in 2025.
Looking to Singapore
Singapore has emerged as one of the industry’s fastest-growing destinations, as previously reported by the drinks business. Under a long-standing free trade agreement, the city-state imposes no tariffs on American whiskey, although excise duties still apply.
US spirits exports to Singapore reached $27m in 2025, up 42.6% from the previous year, making it one of the five fastest-growing markets for American spirits.
Michael Bilello, president of the American Whiskey Association, said Singapore’s role extended beyond its domestic market.
“Singapore offers an elevated hospitality culture,” he said. “Additionally, it is a unique market in that it’s a springboard into the rest of Asia.”
He described the city-state as a regional re-export hub, with shipments flowing on to markets including Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
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