Washington, D.C.,03/13/2025 – The U.S. wine and spirits industry is bracing for potential severe disruptions following President Trump’s proposal to impose a 200% tariff on imported European wine and spirits. This policy, if implemented, threatens to upend a market that relies on the availability of single-origin, geographically designated products that have strong consumer demand and are irreplaceable.
WSWA President and CEO Francis Creighton emphasized the economic hardship this would impose on the industry:
“Given the challenges the wine and spirits industry has already faced—especially with 2024 being one of the most difficult years in decades, according to SipSource data—businesses across all three tiers, from suppliers to wholesalers to retailers, are in no position to absorb such drastic cost increases. While individual companies will make their own choices, the vast majority will struggle to manage these added expenses. At the end of the day, these tariffs if implemented won’t just hurt our industry—they will directly raise prices for American consumers.”
While WSWA respects the campaign promise to secure fairer trade deals, this policy directly contradicts another key campaign commitment: making life more affordable for American consumers and ensuring a stable business environment for U.S. companies to thrive. It also fails to recognize that the beverage alcohol industry is a model of success when it comes to fair trade—spirits have been on a 0 for 0 tariff basis with Europe since the late 1990s.
Imported wine and spirits make up 38% of the U.S. marketplace by volume according to WSWA’s SipSource – meaning the cost of dining out with a bottle of wine or enjoying a cocktail made with an imported spirit will rise significantly. As a result, fewer consumers will frequent bars and restaurants, which will ultimately impact the hospitality sector, reducing job opportunities and wages.
“A tariff on imported wine and spirits will directly impact American workers,” Creighton added, “rising costs will cause some consumers to stay at home, hurting the bartenders, servers and other bar and restaurant workers who depend on customer traffic for tips and shift hours.”
WSWA urges the administration to reconsider the unintended consequences of these tariffs and provide exemptions for single-origin, unique wine and spirits products that cannot simply be produced elsewhere. Unlike cars or semiconductors, geographically designated products like Champagne, Irish Whiskey, Scotch, Prosecco, and Port to name a few, cannot be relocated to U.S. manufacturing facilities, making their cost impact unavoidable for American businesses and consumers alike.
About Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
WSWA is the national trade association representing the distribution tier of the wine and spirits industry, dedicated to advancing the interests and independence of distributors and brokers of wine and spirits. Founded in 1943, WSWA has more than 380 member companies in 50 states and the District of Columbia, and its members distribute more than 80 percent of all wine and spirits sold at wholesale in the United States.
To learn more, please visit www.wswa.org or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.