Trump threatens 200% tariff on French wine and champagne
US tariff threats could hit billions in French wine and champagne exports as geopolitical tensions spill into global alcohol trade.
FRANCE – US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagne, using the country’s flagship agricultural export as leverage to pressure President Emmanuel Macron into joining the “Board of Peace,” a US-led diplomatic initiative overseeing the control of Gaza.
The move marks the second time in less than a week that European wine has been targeted in unrelated geopolitical disputes, following Trump’s warnings linked to Greenland, while the sector already faces a 15% US tariff introduced in August 2025, tightening conditions for exporters and distributors across global supply chains today.
Speaking in Miami, Trump said, “I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join, but he doesn’t have to join.”
The United States is the single largest destination for EU alcoholic beverages, importing €8.9bn (US$9.8bn) in 2024, of which €4.9bn (US$5.4bn) was wine, according to Eurostat.
France accounts for almost 40% of EU wine exports to the US, meaning roughly €1.96bn (US$2.2bn) in French wine trade is directly implicated by the proposed tariff threat as market uncertainty intensifies for producers and importers on both sides of the Atlantic this year alone.
The US is also the largest export market for French champagne, receiving 27.41m bottles in 2024, according to Comité Champagne, while the sector generated €3.75bn (US$4.1bn) in export revenue last year.
The threat therefore puts a significant share of France’s premium sparkling wine industry at risk, as producers rely heavily on American demand to support sales, pricing, and brand investment in global markets that are already dealing with currency volatility and slower growth.
Champagne houses and distributors say the possibility of a 200% tariff would severely disrupt shipments and retail activity in the US market.
In a statement to Food Ingredients First, EU wine association CEEV said it would not yet comment directly on Trump’s threat, adding that the discussions “remain geopolitical in nature and cannot currently be assessed on a sector-by-sector basis.”
The group added, “Tariffs are never good news and are not an effective solution for resolving international tensions. Even when presented as comments, statements by the US President must be taken seriously, but they should also be approached with restraint and a sense of proportion,” the spokesperson said.
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