INTERNATIONAL. In a dramatic announcement today (1 April), US President Donald Trump revisited his failed 2019 attempt to take over the global duty-free industry, vowing this time to put almost all of it in American hands.
As reported, President Trump’s audacious attempt then to acquire the sector under US ownership was strongly rebuffed by Tax Free World Association, Duty Free World Council and various regional travel retail associations, underlining the critical importance of industry solidarity.
However, emboldened by his success in removing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power earlier this year and a renewed interest in acquiring Greenland (another failed target in 2019), Trump insists this time the travel retail target is for real, saying he will seek “regime change” at any trade association or retailer that resists his demands.
“There are only two American companies – Duty Free Americas and 3Sixty Duty Free – in the industry’s top 20 (see table below). That’s outrageous – and because it’s from The Moodie Davitt Report, we know it is clearly not fake news,” Trump commented.
“Swiss, Chinese, French, Korean, Emirati, Thai, British, Irish, Taiwanese, Qatari, Japanese, heck, even Estonians dominate the rankings. We control global trade and yet we barely have a place at the duty-free table. Total disaster! That stops now! We’re gonna make American duty free great again.”
In a seminal moment for our industry, the US President pledged to put the entire travel retail ecosystem – outside selective exceptions, including China, Hungary, Israel, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Little Saint James (Epstein Island, reportedly being considered for a Hainan offshore duty-free model, or in this case models) – under US control.
“Any state attempting to remain outside our great new American travel retail empire will immediately be subject to punitive tariffs of at least 4,000% on their so-called duty-free stores,” Trump told a press conference at the White House today, where The Moodie Davitt Report was the sole travel retail representative.
“This is what we call our own minimum annual guarantee,” he added.
Trump, who famously demanded a speaking fee of US$12 million plus any remaining stocks of Trump Vodka left in travel retail to address the TFWA World Exhibition Conference in 2019 before his disagreement with the association, remains attracted by the channel’s core principles.
These include low taxes, a tariff-free structure and the potential – through US ownership – to ease America’s US$202 billion trade deficit with China.
The President also continues to believe that American strategic interests and military intelligence will be well served by controlling duty-free shops in key airports worldwide.
“We will place Brand Ambassadors in beauty zones, in particular, to ensure we scent any suggestion of terrorist activity. Liquor departments, too, will allow us to nose out any aged insurrectionists,” the President said on his Truth Social platform today.
President Trump said such a duty-free revolution was pivotal to his campaign to be awarded The Nobel Peace Prize this year.
“I’ve been looking at airport duty-free pricing and frankly it’s a total mess,” he told The Moodie Davitt Report. “You enter the store and try to buy a perfectly sized Hermès tie that stretches over your belly and to my preferred length just above my ankles, or you want a nice perfume for Melania, and what happens?
“The prices are crazy and NONE of the value is coming to America. EDP? What’s that? Excessive Democrat Protection over many years!! Concessions? I grant no more concessions!! Today we reveal the era of EDT – Excellent Donald Trump, not only free of duty but free to all Americans!
“I will bring peace from and to the White House as Melania will be so very peaceful when she hears this good news. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” ✈
