"If US tariffs are not removed, the 2025 harvest will be compromised." The alarm from the Chianti Wine Consortium

"A 200% tariff on wine exports to the United States would mean a total halt in overseas sales and would bring producing companies to their knees. With warehouses full, they would be forced to stop production and resort to redundancy payments for their employees."
These are the stark words of Giovanni Busi, President of the Chianti Wine Consortium, in a letter addressed to Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso.

Incalculable damage

The Consortium’s letter comes in the wake of the import ban on European wines announced by several US importers and strongly recommended by the American Wine Trade Alliance. In particular, for Chianti DOCG, this would mean losing a key market, as Busi emphasises: "Our denomination exports around 25% of its production to the US each year. Chianti was one of the first Italian wines to cross the ocean and has built a stable presence in the American market over the years. If this tariff were applied, our producers would no longer be able to compete, and the damage would be incalculable."

A compromised harvest

The Consortium’s President then sounds the alarm for the future, highlighting the challenging period the sector is experiencing due to adverse weather conditions, shifting consumption trends, and geopolitical tensions: "This year, production has returned to standard levels, allowing us to start recovering ground after difficult years. However, if our wineries remain full because we are unable to sell in the US, the 2025 harvest will be seriously compromised: without space for new wine, many producers will be unable to harvest their grapes in September."
This situation is already unfolding on the other side of the world, particularly in New Zealand, where the harvest has already begun, and producers are being forced to leave grapes on the vines to avoid overburdening already full cellars.

The Chianti Wine Consortium’s appeal to the Government

Faced with this scenario, the Chianti Wine Consortium is calling for immediate intervention from the Italian Government and the European Union to prevent the introduction of tariffs and initiate dialogue with US authorities.
"It is essential that our institutions act immediately," concludes Busi, "to protect a sector that represents an excellence of Made in Italy and a pillar of our economy."

At present, the EU Commission has postponed the potential implementation of counter-tariffs on American whisky and wines by a few weeks, while in Italy, Minister Tajani has presented a ‘Plan B’ for Italian exports. But will this be enough to reassure wine producers and consortia—and, above all, to make the US President reconsider? Judging by Trump's latest statements, the danger is far from over: "April 2nd will be the liberation of the US," the tycoon recently wrote, restarting the countdown.