U.S. Confirms 15% Tariff on Italian Wine Imports

The United States has confirmed a 15% tariff on imported Italian wine, adding a new cost to one of Italy’s biggest export categories and raising pressure across the wine trade on both sides of the Atlantic.

Italy’s main wine association, Unione Italiana Vini, said the tariff is expected to cost Italian producers 317 million euros over the next year. The group also said the fallout will extend well beyond wineries, with lost revenue for American importers, distributors, retailers and restaurants potentially reaching nearly $1.7 billion.

The tariff follows the new trade framework agreed by U.S. and European leaders after talks in late July and set out in a joint U.S.-EU statement on Aug. 21. Under that statement, most European Union exports to the United States, including sectors such as automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and timber, will face a maximum tariff rate of 15%. Wine did not receive an exemption.

Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Unione Italiana Vini, described the outlook for the second half of the year as very difficult, while saying there is still hope that negotiations could lead to changes. Paolo Castelletti, the group’s secretary general, called for stronger support from the Italian government for promotional efforts in the U.S. market, where export volumes of Italian wine were already down by nearly 4% in the first five months of the year.

The pressure is especially acute because the United States is one of the most important foreign markets for Italian wine. According to Unione Italiana Vini, 76% of all Italian wine bottles shipped to the United States last year are now highly exposed to the tariff. That amounts to about 366 million bottles out of 482 million.

Some of Italy’s best-known categories depend heavily on American demand. The association said the share of exports going to the United States reaches 60% for Moscato d’Asti, 48% for Pinot Grigio, 46% for Chianti Classico, 35% for Tuscan red wines with protected designation of origin, 31% for Piedmont red wines with protected designation, 31% for Brunello di Montalcino and 27% for Prosecco.

The trade group warned that the damage could deepen if the dollar remains weak against the euro. In that case, it estimates losses for Italian producers could rise to 460 million euros within a year. Currency moves matter because a weaker dollar makes imported wine more expensive in the United States even before the tariff is added.

That effect is already showing up in pricing. Based on a Unione Italiana Vini analysis released in July, a bottle that leaves an Italian winery at five euros used to reach American store shelves at about $11.50. With the new tariff and currency changes, the same bottle is now close to $15. In restaurants, where markups are higher, that five-euro bottle could end up costing about $60.

The new tariff lands at a difficult moment for a category that relies on long supply chains and narrow margins. Importers and distributors often lock in volumes months in advance, while restaurants and retailers have limited room to absorb higher costs without raising shelf prices or trimming orders. Industry groups in Italy say that could force new price negotiations, lower shipment volumes and a shift in buying patterns across the broader beverage business, including wine, beer and spirits, if importers decide to favor products or origins facing lower trade costs.

Maroš Šefčovič, the European commissioner for trade, said efforts to exclude wine, spirits and beer from the tariff regime were unsuccessful, though both sides remain open to future talks on those products as well as steel and aluminum. Giacomo Ponti, president of Federvini, another major Italian beverage association, called that outcome a missed opportunity, saying wine and spirits were not recognized as strategic sectors in transatlantic relations despite their global commercial weight.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the broader agreement brought predictability and stability to transatlantic trade and would help secure jobs and economic growth in Europe. As part of the deal, the European Union committed to buy $750 billion worth of American liquefied natural gas, oil and nuclear products by 2028.

For Italian wine producers, however, the agreement leaves a major gap. Italy is more exposed to the U.S. market than some of its main European competitors. Unione Italiana Vini said 24% of Italy’s wine exports by value go to the United States, compared with 20% for France and 11% for Spain. Italy is also more vulnerable because much of its wine exports are concentrated in lower price bands, where consumers are more sensitive to even small increases.

That makes the policy change more than a bilateral trade dispute over one product category. Italian wine plays a central role in the American market, from supermarket shelves to restaurant lists, and its pricing often affects how distributors and buyers manage their portfolios across imported beverages. If higher costs persist, importers may rebalance between countries, producers may revisit packaging and pricing, and restaurants may adjust selections toward labels with better margins.

The tariff is not limited to wine in its impact on Italy’s food and drink exports. Italian industry groups say olive oil could face losses of about 140 million euros, pasta about 74 million euros, with pork products and dairy goods also under pressure. They estimate the annual loss to Italy’s broader agri-food business in the United States could reach one billion euros.

Coldiretti and Filiera Italia, two major Italian agricultural organizations, said they were disappointed that wine was not removed from the tariff list. They also raised concerns about the wider terms of trade between Washington and Brussels, including what they see as differences in production and food safety standards if more American agricultural products gain access to the European market.

Italian producers and their U.S. partners are now waiting to see whether the tariff becomes a fixed feature of the market or a point of further negotiation. For the moment, wineries, importers and restaurant buyers are working through a new cost structure just as fall orders and holiday sales plans begin to take shape.