Tennessee and Kentucky Distilled Spirits: What’s at Stake from a New Trade War?

American distilled spirits enjoy global popularity and are among the nation’s top agricultural exports. Despite disruptions from the 2018 trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic, exports have shown a steady upward trend, reaching almost $3.0 billion in 2024 (Figure 1). Tennessee and Kentucky lead the nation in distilled spirits exports, consistently ranking first and second, respectively, among exporting states. While distilled spirits make up approximately 2% of total agricultural exports nationwide, they dominate sales in both states, accounting for 36% of Tennessee’s and 48% of Kentucky’s agricultural exports in 2024. In that year, Tennessee exported over $900 million worth of distilled spirits, while Kentucky shipped around $750 million, together comprising more than half of the country’s total distilled spirits export revenue. Texas, the third-largest exporting state, exported around $350 million in distilled spirits in 2024 (USDA-FSA, 2025).