"US tariffs? Start negotiations immediately or wine risks disappearing from the market." UIV's appeal to Europe

The negative impact of the 25% tariffs on European goods announced by the United States could cost nearly one billion euros in the value of Italian wine exports. According to Unione Italiana Vini, this impact also includes a loss in GDP. In fact, as EU Commissioner for Economic Affairs Valdis Dombrovskis stated to Repubblica, "In the medium term, global GDP will fall by 7%. That’s equivalent to losing the entire GDP of Germany and France."

The wine industry union speaks of a "ripple effect," starting with the US—where losses are estimated at 472 million euros and a -25% drop in 2024—spreading to countries directly affected by the new tariffs imposed by Donald Trump, which could slow down or withdraw from the market, like Germany.

United States - White House - Capitol - wirestock photo on Freepik

A heavy bill

The (heavy) bill must also account for Canada's recession, where Italian exports in 2025 could see a -6% decline, and even the European Union itself, with an estimated -5%, translating to a 216-million-euro loss. Summing up the impact across the US, Canada, and the EU—which together account for 80% of the value of Italian wine exports— the balance from April 2025 to April 2026 (on a rolling-year basis) could end in a 716-million-euro deficit (-11%). With total exports to the Rest of the World also expected to contract, the shortfall between 2024 and 2025 could reach 920 million euros. This does not even take into account the domestic Italian market, which, over the rolling year, would see an additional 350-million-euro decline (-5% in consumption).

The appeal from President Frescobaldi

Lamberto Frescobaldi, therefore, launches an appeal to American partners, importers, and distributors: "To remain in the US market, which is worth around 1.9 billion euros for us and accounts for 24% of total wine exports, our goal," explains the UIV president, "is to join forces with our wine enterprises to try to absorb together the surplus costs caused by the trade war."

This would be a "sacrifice that is not easy to implement," leading in the short term to "uneconomic dynamics," but the priority is "to save the market and the special relationship that binds us to American consumers."

Lamberto Frescobaldi

Risk of market exit

The prospect of 25% tariffs, according to Unione Italiana Vini, would in fact lead to an almost total exit from the market—an even worse outcome.
"In this month leading up to the decisions that will be made by the US administration," observes President Frescobaldi, "we call for the utmost effort from Italian and European diplomacy to immediately begin negotiations on the future of trade relations with the United States."

According to UIV, the European Commission must include wine "in the portfolio of proposals regarding the rebalancing of trade relations between the two blocs."