More than 19,000 supporters of the wine and spirits sectors raised concerns with the Trump administration over the impact of tariffs on small U.S. wineries and distilleries, as well as their favorite alcohol products, in petitions sent to President Trump today by the Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition.
“Thousands of consumers and workers throughout the wine and spirits supply chain, from barrel makers to bartenders, are sending a clear message to the administration that we want toasts, not tariffs,” the Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition said. “We need the president’s leadership to secure trade agreements that protect fair and reciprocal zero-for-zero tariffs with the EU and our other key trading partners. This will bolster our great hospitality industry and result in increased exports of U.S. wine and spirits products, and investments and job growth in communities across our country.”
The petition campaigns urged everyone connected to the spirits and wine industries, from bartenders, consumers, manufacturers, farmers, importers and exporters, to sign a petition to the administration noting that tariffs on distilled spirits and wines put American jobs at risk and must be permanently eliminated.
Members of the Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition, a group of 57 associations representing the entire three-tier chain of the U.S. alcohol industry and related industries, shared the petition materials with their members and partners, and boosted awareness of the campaign through social media channels.
The coalition pointed out that the U.S.-EU spirits sector had fair and reciprocal zero-for-zero tariffs from 1997 up until the EU imposed a 25% retaliatory tariff on American Whiskey in 2018 in the steel and aluminum trade dispute.
Due to the EU’s retaliatory tariff, American Whiskey exports to the EU, the largest American Whiskey export market, plunged 20%, from $552 million to $440 million (2018-2021).
During the last three years that the tariffs have been suspended, American Whiskey exports to the EU surged nearly 60%, climbing from $439 million in 2021 to $699 million in 2024.
The coalition stressed that the unpredictable twists and turns of the tariff issue are continuing to create great uncertainty for distillers and vintners, large and small, leaving them with no ability to develop contingency plans to protect their businesses and workers. In 2024, distilled spirits were exported from 43 states, and wines were exported from 36 states.
American spirits and wine remain in the tariff crossfire. Here is a snapshot of the current situation:
- All imports of wine and spirits, as well as barrels, bottles, corks and other items, are currently subject to a 10% U.S. import tariff. These tariffs will be increased on July 9 on a country-by-country basis, in accordance with the April 2 announcement, if no trade agreement is reached by that date. Products that qualify under USMCA are not subject to the 10% tariff.
- Canada, the largest market for U.S. wine and second-largest market for U.S. spirits exports in 2024, began imposing a 25% tariff on all U.S. beverage alcohol products on March 13, and most Canadian provinces have removed all U.S. alcohol products from retail stores.
- President Trump’s call for a 50% tariff on EU imports starting June 1, has been suspended until July 9 to allow for additional negotiations.
- The EU has included American wines and spirits on its retaliatory tariff list for public consultation in response to the universal 10% tariff/country-specific reciprocal and automobile/auto parts tariffs imposed by the U.S.
- The EU will impose a 25% retaliatory tariff on used U.S. barrels on July 14 in the steel and aluminum dispute.