It is not clear who will benefit if President Trump follows his threat to impose a 200 percent tariff on all wine and alcoholic drinks from the European Union, but it will certainly not be American consumers.
The tariff warning was published by Mr. Trump on social media on Thursday in retaliation to 50 percent of the customs tariff on American whiskey and many other products announced by the European Union, which was the same in response to a group of American definitions that entered into force last week.
Mr. Trump said In his position These definitions “will be great for wine and champagne companies in the United States”, but American wine producers do not necessarily see this in this way.
“On the roof, it may seem like a blessing, but if you look under it, I think you realize that it is really harmful to our industry. FrogWine producer run by a family in the Naba Valley.
For most wine producers, sales depend on a connected network of small companies – distributors, retail dealers and restaurants between them – which also depend on European wine sales.
“I don’t think people realize how much the infrastructure of the wine depends on. Lyon and son“If you exhaust this money from the equation, you reduce the opportunity to buy wine from other places. You are not only hurting European wines, but you are hurting Americans’ chances of buying American wine.”
The American wine industry is already facing difficulties. Low sales. The wine factories conclude, and public health advocates have suggested that any consumption of alcohol is unhealthy, and causes climate change in catastrophic fires, spring and dehydration. Meanwhile, the definitions that Mr. Trump put on Canadian and Mexican goods already affected American producers such as the FROG jump that depends on export markets in those countries.
“Ontario was our biggest commercial partner,” said Mr. Williams. “They have canceled all requests, including bottles that were already classified for the boycott in particular. We were all awaiting the next natural catastrophe. I see this an abnormal disaster.”
Some companies, such as Dimine real estateSaint Helena, an importer of St. Helena, tried to expected the definitions by storing some European wine before any additional costs.
“We have doubled in some cases, in some cases, we increased by 20 percent and in some of them we were conservative,” said Villana Puffier, President of Dimine. “You can’t do it for everything, because then you get stuck with the stock. You must expect properly, and it will tell us if we have done.”
It appears that a few large wine companies are less interested in most of them. Luis RuidlerThe producer of champagne, making sparkling wine in the United States for 40 years in Roeder the estateIt is based in Mindsino Province in California. In the past decade, Roeder has developed its wallet by buying well -known California producers like Edwards Marah wine factory In Sonoma Province and Diamond Creek Vineyards In the Naba Valley.
“If there is already a very high customs tariff, our European wine will harm the wine, but our works in California will benefit,” said Joium Voyron, President and CEO of Roider, USA, said.
ROEDERER has a mudsan, though. It has the American distribution arm, Maisons Marqies & DomainesHe has the financial strength of companies to overcome a long disturbance in global wine business.
Small companies are more likely.
Bin Anf, the administrative partner of a company Trepeka wine merchantsIn New York City, and President American wine trade allianceWhich works to ensure a free trade environment for wine. “You cannot exaggerate the amount of restaurants that depend on the revenues resulting from these products.”
It is difficult to imagine Tratorias without Italian wine or Spanish restaurants selling New Zealand Sophingon Blanc. But for many restaurants, this will be either or raising prices significantly on European wines.
Once again in 2019 during his first term, Mr. Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on some European foods and drinks, which made great difficulties for American wine companies until the fees were raised by President Joseph R. Biden Junior in 2021.
“We have stumbled,” said Doug Bolaner, who runs the importer and distributor. Polaner choices With his wife, Tina, on Jabal Kisco, New York, “He certainly had an impact on the final result, but 200 percent? This is not Starter. At the present time, we will have to stop any shipments coming from Europe to find out what would happen.”
An anxiety in particular raises the wine containers already in transit, the so -called “goods on the water”. If they arrive before any tariff, there is no problem, but if you arrive after the definitions start, the importers will face huge fees.
Jeff Keel from Kelogg optionsWho distributes imported and local wine in Carolinas, Virginia and Washington, he said that he had containers of wine to be loaded in France, but he received a letter from the charger on Thursday saying that the download would be delayed a week to give importers an opportunity to consider their options.
Mr. Keel said: “We may stop buying European wine until we get some clarity,” Mr. Kelog said. He added that he would have to raise prices on American wines, as he did during the last round of American definitions.
“It was for our deeds,” he said. “If we cannot sell European wines anymore, we will drop sales representatives, drivers and others. It will not be the same work.”