US Wine Exports Plunge 31.4%, Losing $300 Million Amid Trade Turmoil

US wine exports saw a sharp decline last year, falling by nearly a third as the industry faced major setbacks in its key overseas markets. According to data compiled by Del Ray AMW, a Spanish-based analyst firm using figures from New York-based S&P Global, the United States recorded the steepest drop in wine exports among the world’s leading producers. In the first three quarters of 2025, US wine export sales dropped from just under $1 billion to $655 million, marking a year-on-year decrease of 31.4 percent and a loss of $300 million.

The downturn was most pronounced in the Canadian and Chinese markets, both of which have historically been significant destinations for American wine. The report points to commercial turbulence as the main cause, with trade tariffs imposed during the Trump administration identified as a key factor behind the collapse in these export markets. The analyst noted that restrictive trade measures can have far-reaching consequences, reducing export volumes and revenues and ultimately affecting all parties involved in international trade.

Compared to other major wine-exporting countries, the US decline was much more severe. Australia’s wine exports fell by almost 9 percent, Georgia’s by 11.5 percent, Argentina’s by 7.1 percent, and Chile’s by 3.9 percent over the same period. Among trading hubs, Hong Kong experienced a significant drop as well, with exports down 21.5 percent. Other countries such as Singapore, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands also reported declines ranging from about 7.5 to 8.3 percent.

Some countries managed to buck the trend and post export gains last year. Moldova increased its wine exports by 6.5 percent, New Zealand by 4.3 percent, and South Africa by 4 percent.

The scale of the US decline stands out even more when compared in absolute terms. The reduction in US wine export value was nearly three times greater than that experienced by Australia, whose exports dropped by $108 million during the same period.

Industry observers say that the timing of this export collapse is particularly notable given ongoing overproduction issues in California and competitive price-quality ratios for American wines on the global market. French wine news outlet Vitisphere described the US export downturn as especially striking against this backdrop.

The data highlights how sensitive international wine trade can be to policy changes and market disruptions. For American winemakers and exporters, recovering lost ground in key markets like Canada and China may prove challenging as they navigate both domestic production pressures and shifting global trade dynamics.