U.S. Tariffs Weigh on Wine Imports

Tariffs imposed by the United States on imported wine had a measurable effect in 2025, with the burden varying by country and by the timing of the duties, according to an analysis by the American Association of Wine Economists based on U.S. Census Bureau data from USA Trade Online.

For Italian wine, the effective tariff rate for 2025 came to 8.8%, calculated as an average of the different duties applied during the year. That figure reflects a standard charge of about 6.3 cents per liter on most still wines from January through April 4, followed by a 10% tariff from April 5 through Aug. 7 and a 15% tariff beginning Aug. 8.

The higher costs came as Italian exports to the United States weakened. According to Italy’s national statistics institute, ISTAT, shipments of Italian wine to the U.S. reached €1.75 billion in 2025, down 9.1% from 2024, while volume fell 6.2% to 339.5 million liters.

France faced a lower effective rate of 7.4%, but the impact was still significant because the United States remained one of its most important markets. French wine exports to the U.S. totaled almost €1.9 billion in 2025, equal to 17.9% of France’s total wine exports, but that was down 19% from 2024. Volumes also declined to 1.6 million hectoliters.

Spain saw one of the highest effective tariff rates among major suppliers, at 9.3%. The United States is Spain’s second-largest export market for wine, and Spanish shipments there fell to €210.8 million in 2025, a drop of 14.8% from the previous year.

The AAWE analysis suggests that tariffs were not the only factor affecting trade, but it points to a clear relationship between higher duties and weaker export performance across major producing countries.

The effect was uneven globally. Australia faced an average tariff of 5.5%, New Zealand 9.4%, Argentina 7.3%, Chile 5.5%, Portugal 9.4% and Germany 9.3%, showing that exporters entered the U.S. market under different cost pressures depending on origin and product mix.

The findings come at a time when producers in Europe and elsewhere are still watching U.S. trade policy closely, since even modest changes in duty levels can alter pricing, margins and demand in one of the world’s most important wine markets.