Trump threatens 200% tariff on French Champagne, the latest turn in a boozy trade war
Tariffs have you craving a drink? Too bad.
Another day, another tariff.
President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 200% tariff on booze from France and other European nations after the European Union moved to reinstate an import tax on American whiskey. This is the latest escalation in a trade war between the US and the rest of the world, and it’s not the first time alcohol sales have gotten caught in the mix.
While the EU tariff was only on American whiskey, Trump said his tariffs would go on all “WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES.” He also said this “will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S.”
Not to be that guy, but: Champagne can only legally be labeled as such if it comes from the Champagne region of France. US wineries, predominantly in California, do produce sparkling wine, though.
The company most impacted company by Trump’s move is LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, owned by Europe’s richest man, Bernard Arnault. The company sold 61.7 million bottles of Champagne in 2024, and the largest share of those bottles were exported to the US.
