US tariffs of 15% on European wine to come into effect Friday

The European Commission has confirmed that the United States will impose 15% tariffs on European wine from Friday, as it does on most EU exports.

After EC president Ursula von der Leyen and US president Donald Trump sealed the trade deal in Scotland last Sunday, Brussels said that negotiations on the levies on wine and spirits were still ongoing, with the aim of securing an exemption for them.

However, the EU executive's office confirmed on Thursday that the sectors will be included in the 15% tariffs from Friday while talks with Washington continue.

"The European Commission remains determined to achieve the largest possible number of exemptions" said the EU's Trade Spokesperson, Olof Gill.

Until an agreement is reached for an exemption, European wine and spirits will be subject to a 15% tariff, along with the vast majority of European products.

10% drop in sales

The Association of the Cava sparkling winemakers forecasts that the 15% of imposed tariffs on wines reaching the United States will translate into a 10% drop in sales during the next six months.

The United States is the second country in terms of Cava imports, with over 18 million bottles in 2024. According to the Regulator Councilor of the DO Cava denomination of origin, this represents 12% of the overall Cava exports.

The association president, Joaquim Tosas, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that after months of different changes and warnings on the tariffs and when they would come into effect, he thanked that the "rules of the game are now clearer."

"But, a 15% is not a good thing, it will be important to work hard to recover this market and look for new ones," Tosas added.

In the United States, Cava is the second most popular sparkling wine, just below the Italian Prosecco, and the first one when taking into account the traditional fermentation method (of two fermentations).