2026-05-20
Italian wine exports to the United States fell 17% in value over the 12 months through March 2026, according to an analysis by the Italian Wine Union based on Istat data, as tariffs and a weaker dollar weighed on shipments to the industry’s largest foreign market.
The decline amounted to more than 340 million euros in lost sales, with volumes down 9% and at their lowest level in 10 years. The average export price also fell by nearly 9%, as Italian producers cut list prices to absorb part of the tariff burden and limit the impact on American consumers.
The data cover the period from April 2025 through March 2026, one year after additional U.S. tariffs took effect. Over that span, Italian wine exports to the U.S. totaled 1.65 billion euros, compared with 1.99 billion euros in the same period a year earlier. Shipments of still wines fell almost 19% to 1.05 billion euros, while sparkling wines declined 14% to 588 million euros.
The setback comes after a weak start to 2026 for Italy’s broader wine exports. In the first two months of the year, export value fell 13.3% to 1.03 billion euros, according to Istat. The United States accounted for about 24% of Italy’s wine exports before tariffs and had been worth close to 2 billion euros annually.
The Italian Wine Union said March brought a small sign of improvement, with volumes shipped across the Atlantic rising slightly for the first time in nine months. It also said April could show a modest increase in value. Still, the first quarter remained sharply negative, especially on value, which was down 21%.
The group pointed to U.S. consumption data from SipSource showing a slight recovery for Italian wine in March, saying that if the trend continues it could lead to higher orders in coming months.
Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of the Italian Wine Union, said tariffs and the resulting drop in the dollar had deepened an already difficult market environment marked by falling consumption volumes. He called for a strong response from European diplomats to stabilize trade relations with the United States and said support for promotion would be essential as producers face pressure on margins.
Outside the European Union, Italian wine exports were also under strain in the first quarter of this year, falling 12.5% in value overall. Along with the United States, exports dropped by double digits to Britain and Switzerland, while Canada was nearly flat and shipments rose sharply to Russia and Brazil. Japan also posted a decline.