Trump threatens 30% tariffs on EU imports as wine sector seeks protection

Wine producers across the EU are raising concerns over the potential exclusion of wine and aromatized wines from the EU’s trade offer in ongoing negotiations with the US.

However, tensions between the bloc and the US have soared again, following a new announcement by US President Donald Trump on Saturday, who threatened to impose a 30% tariff on EU and Mexican imports starting August 1, 2025, citing trade deficits and domestic security.

The Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV), representing the European wine industry, says it has learned that wine may not be included in the package which was earlier under discussion.

The call comes as recent reports indicate that the EC is negotiating a limited trade package with the US to reduce tariffs on selected “sensitive goods.” These include aircraft components, medical products, and some alcoholic beverages.

“The European wine sector is already navigating an extremely difficult period, and the definitive establishment of an ad valorem tariff would only amplify this crisis and hurt thousands of wineries and grape growers across the EU,” says Marzia Varvaglione, president of CEEV.

“We therefore call on the EC to ensure that wine and aromatized wine products remain an integral part of the negotiation package with the US administration.”

Trump threatens additional tariffs

Trump also warned in his letter to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen that any retaliatory measures to the US’ 30% tariff announcement would be matched and added to the 30% base rate.

The bloc has delayed countermeasures in a bid to reach a negotiated solution, despite the EU already facing a blanket 10% tariff since April. But Trump’s new announcement has forced Brussels to rethink its position.

“A 30% import duty would severely disrupt transatlantic trade and force many EU wines (and other EU goods) out of the US market,” reads a social media post by Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, secretary general of CEEV.

“But this should not mark the end of dialogue. I see this not as a final decision, but as a call to continue negotiations with the EU. As Ursula von der Leyen rightly stated, the EU ‘remains ready to work toward an agreement by August 1.’”

US key market for EU wines

According to the trade group, the US is the largest export market for EU wine, accounting for 27% of exports by value and 21% by volume. CEEV describes the US wine market as essential to the economic sustainability of the EU wine sector and the rural communities that depend on it.

The group estimates that the current 10% US import duty since April has already caused a 12% loss in EU wine sales. If the tariff increased to between 17% and 20%, and considering the 15% depreciation of the US dollar against the euro, the total estimated damage could reach 30%.

CEEV emphasizes that the value of the EU-US wine trade should not be judged solely by export data. It calls on negotiators to consider the broader economic impact of EU wine sales within the US.

“European wine exports do not harm the US economy — on the contrary, they support it,” says Sánchez Recarte.

“Because of the three-tier system for alcohol distribution in the US — separation of producer, distributor, and retailer, it is estimated that for every US$1 generated by European wine exports to the US, the American distribution and hospitality sectors earn US$4.50.”

“The €4.88 billion (US$5.7 billion) EU wine exported to the US in 2024 would have generated roughly US$22 billion revenue for US companies across the three-tier.”

The association says wine is a “win-win relationship” that should be seen as a mutually beneficial strategic asset. The EU and US wine sectors have consistently opposed tariffs on wine and support open, rules-based trade.