Italian Wine Exports Fall After U.S. Tariffs

One year after the United States imposed new tariffs on imported wine and spirits, Italy’s wine industry is heading into the 58th edition of Vinitaly with a message of resilience and a sharper focus on markets beyond North America.

Data presented by Federvini, based on research by its observatory with Nomisma and TradeLab, show that Italian wine exports ended 2025 under pressure, falling 3.6% in value, or nearly €300 million. The main drag came from the United States, where exports dropped 12% after the tariff changes. In the first two months of 2026, that decline deepened to 34%, underscoring how quickly trade barriers have altered one of Italy’s most important foreign markets.

Even so, Federvini said Italy has held up better than several major competitors. French exports fell 4.4%, Spain’s declined 5.1%, Chile’s dropped 10.2%, and U.S. wine exports were down 36% over the same period, according to the group’s analysis.

“We are standard-bearers of Made in Italy, and we have a duty to look ahead with a positive spirit,” Giacomo Ponti, president of Federvini, said at an event tied to Vinitaly. He called for stronger engagement with government institutions as the industry adapts to a more uncertain global trade environment. The meeting included Adolfo Urso, Italy’s minister for enterprises and made in Italy; Marcello Gemmato, undersecretary of health; Matteo Zoppas, president of the Italian Trade Agency; and Paolo De Castro, a member of the European Parliament.

Albiera Antinori, who leads Federvini’s wine group, said the domestic market is increasingly rewarding quality, experience and territorial identity. In grocery retail, wine sales remained steady at about €3 billion in value, while volumes slipped 2.8%. Sparkling wines continued to outperform the category, rising 3.1% in volume.

The picture is more mixed in food service and other out-of-home channels, where wine consumption fell 6.6% in a market worth €102 billion, up 1.5% in value overall. That decline was partly offset by sparkling wines, which were down only 2.3%, as younger consumers continue to move toward more moderate drinking habits.

With the U.S. market under strain, Italian producers are looking more closely at new trade openings promoted by the European Union. On May 1, the provisional entry into force of the EU-Mercosur agreement is expected to give Italian exporters access to a bloc of about 260 million people with a combined GDP of roughly $3 trillion. Wine imports in that region have risen 45% over the past five years, and Italy already holds an 8% share, helped by demand for Tuscan and Piedmontese reds.

India is also emerging as a major target. The country’s federal wine tariffs are set to fall from 150% to between 20% and 30%, a change that could reshape trade flows in a market of 1.47 billion people. Prosecco has already posted growth of 165% there, according to Federvini.

Another recent agreement with Australia removes tariffs entirely and opens what Italian producers see as a high-value market with wine imports worth more than €540 million. Industry officials said that while these deals create new opportunities, they also leave unresolved the broader issue of protecting geographic indications abroad, a long-running concern for Italian wine and food exporters seeking stronger legal safeguards for regional names and labels.