French Champagne is stocked on shelves for sale at a liquor store in Los Angeles, California, USA, 14 March 2025. On 13 March 2025, US President Donald Trump threatened 200 percent tariffs on European Union (EU) wine and alcohol imports in response to the EU's tariff threats on American products. EPA/ALLISON DINNER Trump warned the United States would “have no choice but to charge a 100% tariff on all champagnes and all wines coming out of France”, unless Paris scraps a digital tax of 3% on U.S. tech giants.
“This new threat is bad news for our industry, which relies heavily on exports,” French wine and spirits exporters group FEVS said in a reaction to Reuters.
The group urged “responsible behaviour”, calling for balanced and constructive trade ties between France and the United States, “in the interest of both economies”
Trump previously threatened a 200% tariff on imports of wine and other alcoholic beverages from France and the EU, for instance in January this year and March last year as transatlantic trade tension rose.
(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)