European wines, and particularly French wines, will continue to be subject to a 10% import tax in the United States, according to the latest announcements from the US administration. Although some importers had hoped for a reduction or elimination of these duties, implemented as part of the trade dispute between Washington and Brussels, no reduction is currently planned.
These taxes, introduced in 2019 in response to a dispute over Airbus subsidies, had already caused tensions between the two sides of the Atlantic. Since then, several rounds of negotiations have prevented an escalation, but the recent statement from the Office of the United States Trade Representative has renewed concerns: new, possibly heavier, taxes could be imposed if “persistent trade imbalances” are not resolved.
For European producers, these threats are fueling a climate of uncertainty. “A 10% tax is already a drag on our competitiveness in the American market, but the idea that it could double or even more in the coming months is extremely worrying,” said a Bordeaux merchant.
On the American side, the administration is defending these measures as a strategic pressure tool, but local distributors are concerned about the long-term impact on the diversity of wines offered to consumers and on prices.
The next bilateral meeting between the United States and the European Union, scheduled for this summer, could be decisive for the fate of these taxes—and for wine lovers on both continents.