Tarifs on Spain's wine market

This newsletter provides a selection of regulatory news and comments from our SPANISH legal experts on interesting policy developments, recent case law, and new regulatory directions of major industry practices. The aim is to provide an up-to-date tool for quick and easy consultation on the most current and important topics at a SPANISH level.

Tariffs on European wine imports in the U.S. market were set to rise by up to 200%, according to announcements from the White House. Some local farmers welcomed the news, believing it would boost demand for American products, while others opposed possible policies due to poor harvests caused by wildfires, droughts, and other crop damage.[1]

To put things in perspective, the 2025 OIVE Economic Report shows that the U.S. increased its wine imports to 1.226 billion liters, valued at $6.789 billion. Nearly 5.5% of U.S. imports (67.3 million liters) come from Spain. Notably, December 2024 saw the sharpest surge in imports due to uncertainty over potential tariffs.[2]

Major wine exporters like Spain, France, and Italy have pressured Brussels to prevent the U.S. from imposing these tariffs at all costs. Ultimately, the European Commission excluded bourbon from its list of products facing a 25% tariff, averting the 200% increase on the other side of the Atlantic.[3] The historic alliance is now forced to negotiate and ease tensions fueled by threats from one side and retaliatory measures from the other. However, on the global stage, the EU –and Spain in particular– has begun moving closer to the U.S.’s current rival, China, to diversify export partnerships and bypass U.S. tariffs.[4] As the European Commission’s vicepresident Kaja Kallas warned: “Only China will benefit from a transatlantic trade war“.


[1]      CNN Business, article by Samantha Delouya https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/22/economy/tariff-eu-trade-war-california-wine/index.html

[2]      Interprofesional del Vino https://interprofesionaldelvino.es/informe-de-importaciones-de-vino-en-eeuu/

[3]      El Economista, article by Lidia Montes https://www.eleconomista.es/economia/noticias/13308014/04/25/bruselas-apunta-al-maiz-el-calzado-y-los-muebles-en-su-respuesta-arancelaria-a-trump.html

[4]      El Economista https://www.eleconomista.es/economia/noticias/13307985/04/25/se-afianza-la-relacion-entre-xi-jinping-y-sanchez-en-plena-guerra-arancelaria-china-pone-a-espana-a-la-vanguardia-de-sus-vinculos-europeos.html

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