U.S. duties on wine in 2025 reached a value of $492.2 million, marking a significant increase compared to previous years. This rise followed the U.S. announcement on April 2, 2025, to extend tariffs to wines from the European Union, including major producers such as France, Spain, and Italy. The American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE), citing data from the U.S. Bureau of Census and USA Trade Online, reported that these tariffs far exceeded those collected in earlier years: $81.8 million in 2024, $78.7 million in 2023, $95.3 million in 2022, and $134.6 million in 2021.
The imposition of tariffs was part of a broader trade policy under President Donald Trump’s administration. During his first term, a 25% tariff applied to wines from France, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom but excluded Italian wines. The new round of tariffs in 2025 included Italian wines for the first time, contributing to the sharp increase in total duties collected.
The impact of these tariffs has been felt across the global wine industry. Exports have declined among the world’s main wine-producing countries—Italy, France, and Spain—raising concerns about the future of a sector already facing challenges from climate change and falling consumption rates. The United States remains a critical market for these countries’ wines, making any disruption particularly significant.
The AAWE highlighted an additional complication following a Supreme Court ruling that declared the U.S. wine tariffs unlawful. This decision has created uncertainty over who should be refunded for the duties paid: producers, importers, distributors, retailers, or consumers. The AAWE noted that it is unclear who ultimately bore the cost along the supply chain. The potential refund scenario is estimated at around $130 billion across all affected goods and industries, making it one of the most complex trade disputes in recent history.
For Italy, the consequences are especially notable. Despite the tariffs and declining exports worldwide, the United States remained Italy’s largest export market for wine in 2025. According to Istat data analyzed by WineNews, Italian wine exports to the U.S. generated €1.75 billion ($1.89 billion) in value—a decrease of 9.1% compared to 2024—and totaled 339.5 million liters shipped, down 6.2% from the previous year.
Industry experts say that these figures underscore both the importance and vulnerability of international wine trade relationships with the United States. As producers and governments await further clarification on refunds and future tariff policies, many are calling for greater diversification of export markets to reduce dependence on any single country.
The ongoing situation has left many stakeholders uncertain about how long it will take to resolve legal and financial questions surrounding tariff refunds and what long-term effects this period will have on global wine trade patterns. For now, producers across Europe continue to monitor developments closely while adapting their strategies to an unpredictable market environment shaped by both policy decisions and broader economic trends.
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