Wine Origins Alliance urges against ‘tit-for-tat’ wine tariffs
US and EU members of the Wine Origins Alliance (WOA) have called on trade officials to protect wine from retaliatory tariffs amid ongoing negotiations.
Members of the WOA have addressed letters to the US Trade Representative and EU Commissioner for Trade urging them to avoid imposing tariffs on wine.
The letters represented the views of 28 wine regions across eight US states and five EU member states.
“Unfortunately, in this uncertain period for international trade, threats of tariffs and the imposition of tariffs are leading to uncertainty and great concern for our members,” the letters said.
The regions, which admitted to being “competitors on the global market” said they all agreed that WOA members are “best served by free and fair competition”.
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The letters went on to explain that “Tariffs on wine do not just hurt producers and consumers, but other businesses connected to the wine industry such as distributors, retailers and restaurants. They also have the potential to lead to a tit-for-tat escalation, harming producers around the world as more tariffs are imposed as retaliation in the future.”
These letters build on conversations held by WOA members last month in Geneva, Switzerland, during meetings with officials at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
The WOA aims to eliminate barriers to trade in wine, including tariffs and the lack of effective protection for wine region place names.
WOA members represent nearly 100,000 wineries and grape growers that have generated more than one million jobs and more than US$8 billion in global wine exports. WOA membership encompasses 34 organisations from nine countries, spanning Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania.
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