U.S. buyers drove nearly one-fifth of French wine and spirits exports

The United States was the top foreign market for French wine and spirits exports over the 12 months from May 2025 through April 2026, taking in nearly one-fifth of the total value shipped abroad, according to an AFP analysis of the latest full-year data from French customs.

French exports of wine and spirits to the U.S. reached €2.9 billion over that period. That accounted for more than 18% of the €15.6 billion exported worldwide from France, well ahead of the United Kingdom, which represented 11%, and Germany, at 6%.

The figures show how central the American market has become for French producers of champagne, cognac and still wines at a time of renewed trade risk. On Monday, President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on wines and champagne “from France” in an interview published by the New York Post.

Champagne and cognac alone made up more than 40% of the value of French shipments to the United States, with about €600 million in exports each during the period covered by the customs data. They were followed by red Bordeaux wines at €220 million and white Burgundy wines at €170 million. The figures cover standard bottles of less than two liters.

Some categories appear especially exposed to any disruption in U.S. demand. Nearly 45% of foreign shipments of white wines from the Loire Valley went to the United States, according to the customs data analyzed by AFP. For Beaujolais wines, the share was 30%. By comparison, the U.S. accounted for 16% of champagne exports and 13% of red Bordeaux exports.

That concentration matters across the beverage business because it gives producers, exporters and importers a clearer measure of how much pricing, margins and sales volumes could be affected if trade barriers rise. For companies planning inventories, contracts and currency or tariff hedges, the data underscores how dependent several French wine regions are on continued access to American buyers.

Trump said his tariff threat was intended to pressure Paris to scrap its 3% tax on revenue earned in France by technology companies, including major American groups such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Alphabet, Google’s parent company. In the interview, he said French President Emmanuel Macron could avoid that pressure by removing the tax.

For French wine and spirits makers, the stakes are high because the U.S. remains not only their largest export destination by value but also a premium market for categories that carry some of the industry’s highest prices. A sharp increase in duties could raise shelf prices for American consumers and complicate distribution for importers and retailers that rely on steady flows of French bottles.

The customs breakdown also suggests that exposure is uneven across appellations. Regions with a larger share of exports tied to the U.S. market may face greater pressure than those with more diversified sales across Europe or Asia if tariff threats move beyond political signaling. That makes the latest trade data a key benchmark for producers assessing demand risk in one of their most important overseas markets.