Starting August 1, the United States will implement a 30% tariff increase on several products from the European Union. This measure, presented as a response to persistent trade imbalances, particularly targets the agri-food sector, and particularly French wines, which are already heavily exported across the Atlantic.
This decision could have a direct impact on French winemakers and exporters, whose margins, already weakened by inflation and climatic hazards, risk further erosion. For American consumers, this increase will translate into higher prices on the shelves, potentially benefiting local producers or wines from other regions not affected by these surcharges.
The French government and European authorities have denounced the measure as “protectionist and unjustified” and have promised to refer the matter to the World Trade Organization (WTO) if no agreement is reached by then. In the meantime, the French wine industry fears a decline in its exports to a market that accounts for more than 20% of its foreign sales.