Italian Food and Wine Exports to U.S. Plunge 23% in August Amid New Tariffs

Italian food and wine exports to the United States dropped sharply in August 2025, falling 23% compared to August 2024. The decline, which amounts to a loss of 126 million euros in just one month, follows the introduction of new U.S. tariffs on European agricultural products. The data comes from the Italian farmers’ association Cia/Agricoltori Italiani, based on figures released by the Italian national statistics agency Istat. The Coldiretti association also confirmed the trend, noting that the drop was especially severe in the wine sector, where exports fell by more than 30%.

The new tariffs, set at 15% after months of uncertainty and speculation about even higher rates, have been a major factor in the downturn. Industry experts say it is still unclear whether the decline is due more to the tariffs themselves, to stockpiling by importers before the tariffs took effect, or to confusion over how the tariffs would be applied. What is clear is that Italian food and beverage exports to the U.S. have slowed dramatically after years of steady growth.

The Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv), led by Lamberto Frescobaldi, reported a 28% drop in value for Italian wine exports to the U.S. during July and August 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The cumulative value for those two months was 227 million euros. According to Uiv, this negative trend has been consolidating since April, with overseas sales declining for three consecutive months. Between June and August 2025, losses exceeded 210 million euros.

The slowdown has affected the overall performance of Italian agri-food exports to the U.S. in 2025. In the first eight months of this year, annual growth in exports has essentially stalled, compared to a 19% increase during the same period in 2024. In absolute terms, exports grew by just 1 million euros from January to August 2025, compared to an 802 million euro increase in the same period last year.

Cia/Agricoltori Italiani president Cristiano Fini said that U.S. tariffs, combined with an unfavorable euro/dollar exchange rate, are hurting high-quality Italian exports and putting thousands of agri-food businesses at risk. He called for urgent action to protect years of investment and market presence in the U.S.

Despite these challenges, total Italian agri-food exports to the U.S. in the first eight months of 2025 still exceeded 5 billion euros, roughly in line with last year’s figures. However, Coldiretti noted that this result masks a highly uneven performance. After an 11% increase in export value during the first quarter of 2025, growth slowed to 1.3% in April, 0.4% in May, and then turned negative: -2.9% in June, -10% in July, and a steep drop in August.

Wine exports have been particularly hard hit. According to Istat data analyzed by WineNews, Italian wineries exported 1.1 billion euros worth of wine to the U.S. in the first eight months of 2025, down 0.1% from the same period in 2024. In July 2025 alone, wine exports fell 26.3% compared to July 2024.

Coldiretti said that with tariffs now at 15%, export growth has effectively stopped. The group added that it remains to be seen whether this downturn will be temporary or mark a lasting shift in trade patterns. The U.S. is Italy’s largest non-EU market for agri-food exports, making these developments especially significant.

A recent Coldiretti/Censis report found that 81% of Italians believe the European Union should negotiate with former President Trump for tariff exemptions in key sectors such as wine. The report also found that 79% of Italians expect the European Commission to take a tougher stance in future negotiations.

Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Unione Italiana Vini, said that both tariffs and a weak dollar have affected market performance. He noted that falling U.S. consumption and increased stockpiling could not continue indefinitely, and recent data confirm this shift. Frescobaldi called on Italian companies to focus on improving efficiency and strengthening their presence in foreign markets, especially as conditions stabilize in the U.S. He also highlighted the importance of government support for promotion and internationalization, pointing to upcoming budget measures that could allocate additional resources for wine promotion through Ice Agenzia.