Trump renews threats against a favorite target: French wines and spirits
Bottling in progress, Beine (Yonne), March 17, 2025. ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP Donald Trump once again pulled out his heavy artillery on Tuesday, January 20. This time, his favorite target: French wines and spirits, which he threatened with a 200% tariff. The move came in retaliation for French President Emmanuel Macron's refusal to join his proposed "Board of Peace" for Gaza. It was another blow to the French wine and spirits sector, which has often been singled out by the United States in trade disputes. In 2019, during Trump's first term in the White House, wine producers were subjected to a 25% tariff increase. Trump justified the measure at the time as retaliation during the Airbus-Boeing dispute between Europe and the US. As tensions escalated on both sides of the Atlantic, Washington decided to toughen its stance by extending the additional tariffs in January 2021 to bulk wine and to eaux-de-vie, including cognac. Only champagne was spared from the wrath of the US president. The arrival of Joe Biden to power, however, led to those sanctions being lifted. As soon as Trump returned to the White House, tensions immediately rose again, along with concern among professionals in the wine and spirits industry. In early March 2025, the US president, engaged in an unprecedented trade battle, said he planned to impose tariffs on agricultural products entering the US as of April. A few days later, he sent a shockwave through the sector by declaring that the tax rate would be 200% for European wines and spirits – a level that would effectively close off the market. You have 45.17% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
