U.S. Tariff Decision Looms as Trade Tensions with EU Threaten Italian Wine Exports

With a major U.S. tariff announcement expected April 2, Italy and the EU push for diplomacy to avert economic fallout from a proposed 200% tariff on European alcohol.

President Trump has proposed a 200% tariff on European wine and spirits in response to EU threats of retaliatory tariffs on American goods, including bourbon whiskey.
The White House is set to announce a key decision on tariffs on April 2, with potential significant impacts on EU alcohol exports, particularly from Italy and France.
Italy's agriculture minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, expressed hope for a diplomatic resolution, emphasizing the U.S. as an indispensable market for Italian wine exports.
Italian trade group Federvini reported a slowdown in wine and spirits exports to the U.S. due to uncertainty over the potential tariffs, which threaten an industry contributing over 1% to Italy's GDP.
The EU has delayed its retaliatory tariffs until mid-April to allow time for negotiations, while Italian wine leaders lobby to exclude wine from the EU’s tariff response list.