Customs duties: French wines and spirits sector call “continue negotiations”

Thousands of jobs at stake. Federation exporters of French wines and spirits (FEVS) condemned the entry into force on Friday from August 7, 15% of Customs Law to European products and called France and the European Union to make “Persecution of negotiations”. US President Donald Trump signed a decree on Thursday, which imposed an increase in customs to dozens of countries. At this stage, the European Union has not received an exception for wines (including Champagnes) and spirits, especially a sensitive sector for countries such as France and Italy.

“The impact of this right will be all the more brutal because it goes hand in hand with the bankruptcy of the US dollar in the United States”He condemned President FEVS Gabriel Picard on Friday in a press release. Estimated that this combined effect “This could lead to a decrease in a quarter” Selling wines and spirits in the United States, “Or loss from billions of euros”.

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The decline in exports should also “Effects on 600,000 direct and indirect workplaces of wine and spirits” In France, according to the Federation, which does not take into account premature losses. “Greetings, as has already made efforts to try to obtain the exclusion of wines and ghosts of this right 15%”Gabriel Picard said. “But the situation cannot stay as it is”continued and believed “Negotiations should continue”. “We hope to benefit from the exception and we will receive our French political leaders so that the negotiations can get this negotiations from the (European) Commission”On Friday, the President of the Union of Independent Winemakers in France, Jean-Marie Fabre, said.

“Strategic Market”

The European Commission stated that on Thursday it continues to negotiate with the United States to attempt to obtain exceptions from customs duties on wine and spirits in the future, but expects US taxes to be influenced at this stage. On the side of the French government, however “N ‘(there has not stopped”gives you “Get Warranties on Wines and spirits”.

“The United States is a strategic market for the French wine sector and especially for champagne”He recalled AFP Maxim TOUBART, as -President of the intermediate committee of champagne (Civc). In 2024, the United States gained 10% of volume champagne exports and more than 14% of the turnover in this industry, or EUR 820 million, according to Civc. With a certain impact on the prices of the US final consumer, 15% should reduce the consumption of champagne in the United States, warned Mr. Toubart, “But today we can’t measure the number of bottles we lose”. Is “Obvious” It would also have an impact on employment in this industry in the United States as in France, he added.

Especially small champagne manufacturers who have less solid kidneys than large houses probably suffer the most, but also warn Yves Couvreur, the administrator of the Federation of Independent Winemakers of Champagne. “For most of our winemakers it is not possible to assume a 15% possible increase” US taxes, according to Mr. Couvreur, asked AFP on Friday. According to Toubart, some customers in the United States expected an additional fee at the end of last year, but others were, but others were “Rather Waiting” To see more clearly, so in recent months there has not been a flagrant unexpected effect for champagne.