Decanter French wineries to get aid as new US tariffs bite
More French and German wines have been hit with retaliatory US import tariffs this week, as France’s government promises fresh aid for winemakers and an alliance of American retailers and merchants looks to president-elect Joe Biden to solve the impasse.
US trade officials pressed ahead with plans to impose a 25% import tariff on French and German still wines above 14% abv this week.
Cognac and other grape-based spirits from France and Germany were also targeted, as part of an expansion of products targeted in the long-running US-EU trade dispute over aerospace industry subsidies.
Latest twist in 16-year saga No exemptions for products in transit when tariffs announced EU hopes to settle issue after Biden takes office (Adds details, wine industry letter to USTR)By Andrea Shalal and David LawderWASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Monday said it would begin collecting new duties on aircraft parts and other products from France and Germany from Tuesday after failing to resolve a 16-year dispute over aircraft subsidies with the European Union.
The US government on Monday (11 January) said it would begin collecting new duties on aircraft parts and other products from France and Germany from Tuesday after failing to resolve a 16-year dispute over aircraft subsidies with the European Union.
Dive Brief:
Starting in October 2019, wines that were 14% alcohol or less were hit with a 25% tariff. Those above 14% were exempt. Starting Jan. 12, that tariff will be applied to those above 14% as well. Premium cognacs costing $38 or more a litter will also get slapped with the new import duties, the USTR said.
The new tariffs, which come in the waning days of the Trump administration, have been widely criticized by organizations including the Distilled Spirits Council
and the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance. They urged the incoming Biden administration to act quickly upon taking office. We need to convince President-elect Biden that tariff relief should be a major priority of his first few weeks in office, and this is no small task, Ben Aneff, president of the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance, said in a statement.