U.S. wine imports fell 25.2% in value in the first half of 2026

U.S. wine imports fell sharply in the first half of 2026, dropping in both value and volume from the same period a year earlier, according to U.S. customs data analyzed by the Spanish Wine Interprofessional Organization, known as OIVE. The United States imported 536.8 million liters of wine worth €2.43 billion in the six-month period, down 16.8% in volume and 25.2% in value. That meant 108.3 million fewer liters entered the market and spending fell by €816.4 million from the first half of 2025. The average import price also declined, slipping 10.1% to €4.52 a liter.

The downturn came during a period in which a 15% U.S. tariff on products from the European Union remained in force. The tariff took effect on Aug. 7, 2025, and was still active through the first half of this year. OIVE said the measure remained in place as imports from Europe’s biggest wine-producing countries moved lower, although the pullback was not limited to European suppliers.

Bottled wine remained the largest category by far. U.S. imports of bottled wine reached €1.69 billion and 318.2 million liters, down 26.6% in value and 12.4% in volume. That category accounted for 70% of the total value of U.S. wine imports and 59% of the volume in the first six months of 2026. Its average price fell 16.2% to €5.32 a liter, a steeper decline than the overall market.

Sparkling wine ranked second by value. Imports in that segment fell 19.8% to €630.2 million, while volume declined 9.6% to 90.3 million liters. The average price for sparkling wine dropped 11.3% to €6.98 a liter. Even with that decline, sparkling remained one of the higher-priced imported categories in the U.S. market.

The only segment to post growth was bag-in-box wine, though it still represented a small share of total imports. The United States imported €16.3 million worth of bag-in-box wine, up 12%, and 7.9 million liters, up 49.6%. Bulk wine moved in the opposite direction. Imports of bulk wine fell 36.4% in value to €85.9 million and 31.9% in volume to 120.3 million liters, showing the steepest drop among the main categories measured by value.

By country, France and Italy remained the dominant suppliers to the United States in value terms, despite large declines. France led with €955.8 million in shipments, down 25.2%, while Italy followed with €790.9 million, down 25%. Together, the two countries accounted for about 72% of the total value of U.S. wine imports in the first half of the year. New Zealand held third place with €208.1 million, down 14%. Spain ranked fourth with €133.7 million, a decline of 20.9%.

All of the leading suppliers posted lower sales by value, according to the data. France and Italy also recorded the largest losses in absolute terms, with France down €322.6 million and Italy down €263.4 million compared with the same period in 2025. Spain lost €35.3 million in value over the same period.

The ranking changes slightly when measured by volume. Italy was the largest supplier to the United States in liters, with 170.2 million liters shipped in the first half, down 9.8%. France was second with nearly 99 million liters, down 5.3%. Canada remained third with 63.8 million liters, even after a 21.5% drop. Spain held seventh place with 29.3 million liters, down 15.7%.

All major suppliers also posted declines in volume. In absolute terms, Australia showed the biggest reduction, with 25.9 million fewer liters shipped to the United States than a year earlier. Italy’s shipments fell by 18.4 million liters, Canada’s by 17.6 million, and Chile’s by 15.2 million. Even with those losses, Italy and France together still supplied about half of all imported wine volume in the U.S. market during the period.

The gap between the fall in value and the smaller drop in volume points to a broad weakening in import prices across categories. That pattern was visible in bottled wine, sparkling wine and the overall average price for imported wine. For U.S. buyers, the first half of 2026 brought a market with lower volumes, lower spending and lower unit prices, while the biggest supplier countries and the most important product segments all moved in the same downward direction.