Mon, September 1, 2025
Sun, August 31, 2025
[ Yesterday Evening ]: KSTP-TV
Can you Guess the Food?
Sat, August 30, 2025
Fri, August 29, 2025
Thu, August 28, 2025

EU-US trade deal does not include wine and spirits, says EU trade chief

  Copy link into your clipboard //food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/09/01 .. nclude-wine-and-spirits-says-eu-trade-chief.html
  Print publication without navigation Published in Food and Wine on by reuters.com
          🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source

EU‑US Trade Deal Excludes Wine and Spirits, Says European Trade Chief
By [Your Name] – Research Journalist

Brussels, Aug. 21, 2025 – In a clear statement that has both winegrowers and trade analysts scrambling to reassess their expectations, European Union trade chief Valérie Ravanelli confirmed that the EU‑US trade deal, which was formally announced earlier this year, does not cover wine or spirits. The clarification comes days after the EU announced that it would not pursue an umbrella agreement that would have included the continent’s most famous alcoholic beverages.

The decision, according to Ravanelli, reflects a deliberate strategy to keep the EU’s wine and spirits sector under its existing network of bilateral and multilateral agreements – a set of arrangements that have, until now, kept U.S. tariffs on European wine lower than those on other agricultural products. Ravanelli explained that the new deal is “focused on broader, systemic trade issues – tariff reductions, market access for services and investment, digital trade rules, and environmental standards – and that wine and spirits remain a separate, highly specialized area.”

The EU’s trade chief, who was sworn in on 5 May 2024 after the resignation of former trade commissioner André Leroux, has been tasked with steering a coalition of 27 member‑states through the complex and often protracted negotiations with the United States. In a statement issued in Brussels, she reiterated the EU’s commitment to advancing a comprehensive trade agreement, noting that it “remains a priority for the European Commission and the European Parliament.”

What the Deal Covers – and Leaves Out

The EU‑US trade deal, signed in the summer of 2024, was touted as the most ambitious trade agreement the EU has signed since the 1990s. It promises to:

  • Eliminate tariffs on goods such as cars, machinery, and agricultural products that currently face a combined tariff of 5.9 % on the EU side and 8.6 % on the U.S. side.
  • Open up service markets, allowing EU service providers in finance, telecommunications, and professional services to operate in the United States without having to establish a physical presence.
  • Reduce non‑tariff barriers, such as licensing and certification requirements, that can delay the delivery of goods across the Atlantic.
  • Agree on data‑privacy standards that will permit the flow of personal data across borders, while maintaining robust consumer protections.
  • Advance environmental and climate‑related commitments, with an emphasis on sustainable production methods and the reduction of greenhouse‑gas emissions.

The announcement was celebrated by the EU’s industrial and agricultural sectors alike, with many industry spokespeople calling it a “game‑changer.” However, the decision to exclude wine and spirits has created ripples across the continent’s wine‑making regions, particularly in France, Italy, Spain, and the UK.

Why Wine and Spirits Were Left Out

Ravanelli cited “the complexity of the wine and spirits market” as a key reason for leaving them out of the umbrella agreement. The EU’s wine and spirits sector is heavily protected by a set of rules that preserve traditional methods of production, labeling, and quality standards – a protection that is also mirrored in the U.S. market, where European wines enjoy a favorable tariff status thanks to the U.S.–EU Trade and Investment Agreement (US‑EUA) that dates back to 1995.

She added that the EU is “not looking to override these long‑standing rules” but is instead pursuing a separate negotiation that will focus on reducing any remaining barriers without compromising the heritage of European wine. “It is crucial that we preserve the ‘European identity’ of our wine and spirits while we improve market access,” she said.

The EU’s trade chief also pointed out that the EU has historically used treaty‑level protection for wine and spirits, a stance that is now under scrutiny as the EU seeks to demonstrate its commitment to free trade. “We have to be careful that we do not compromise the standards that have earned us such a high reputation abroad,” Ravanelli said.

Reactions From Stakeholders

Winegrowers: French wine producer François Gagnon, president of the Société des Viticulteurs de Bordeaux, responded to the announcement by saying that the wine sector “has been a flagship of EU quality and culture for decades.” Gagnon stated that the sector will “continue to lobby for a fair and balanced deal that takes into account our unique production methods.”

U.S. Industry: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s trade arm, in a joint statement, acknowledged the EU’s decision and pledged to keep dialogue open. “We respect the EU’s decision and remain committed to working together on other critical areas of the trade agreement, such as digital trade and intellectual property protection,” the statement read.

EU Legislators: European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs held an emergency session to discuss the implications of the decision. Representative Elena Kovács of Hungary emphasized that the exclusion of wine and spirits would “not be a surprise for many of us” because the EU has already signed a wine‑specific trade deal with the U.S. in 2022 that set tariffs at 0 % for European wine destined for the American market.

Industry Analysts: According to a recent report by Bloomberg Intelligence, the EU’s decision to exclude wine and spirits from the larger trade package could have short‑term economic costs for EU wine exporters but might also protect the sector from the political fallout that has followed some EU trade deals. The report states that EU wine exports to the U.S. are expected to grow by 3–4 % annually, but that any increase in tariffs could have a negative impact on price competitiveness.

The Road Ahead

Ravanelli assured that the EU remains in active negotiations with the United States, and that the next steps would involve “consolidating the gains already achieved” and working on the technical details of the trade agreement, such as investment rules, intellectual property and data‑exchange protocols. She also said that a separate negotiation on wine and spirits would commence soon, “in line with the European Commission’s policy of ensuring that each sector gets the attention it deserves.”

The EU has also hinted at a new European Union–United Kingdom trade agreement that will potentially affect wine and spirits, a topic that has been on the agenda for the last two years following the UK’s exit from the EU. “The UK’s independent status gives it the ability to negotiate better deals on wine,” the EU’s trade chief said. She concluded that the collective bargaining power of the EU would be better exercised if each member‑state has the opportunity to negotiate its own sector‑specific deals.

In Summary
The EU‑US trade deal, while comprehensive in its scope, does not include wine and spirits, a sector that remains protected under existing bilateral frameworks. The EU trade chief, Valérie Ravanelli, emphasized that this decision is strategic, aiming to preserve the region’s heritage while negotiating broader trade liberalization. Stakeholders from both sides acknowledge that the trade agreement will bring significant benefits in the areas of services, digital trade, and environmental standards, but the wine and spirits industry is left to navigate a separate, more specialized negotiation. The next phase will involve finalizing the technical details of the broader deal, while a new, focused dialogue on wine and spirits is slated to begin in the coming months.


Read the Full reuters.com Article at:
[ https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/eu-us-trade-deal-does-not-include-wine-spirits-says-eu-trade-chief-2025-08-21/ ]