The European Commission will continue to plead in favor of a preferential rate for exports of wine and spirits to the United States, in order to spare the sector the rate of 15 % applied to most products within the framework of the US-States Trade Agreement, the European Commissioner for Trade said on Thursday.
“We did not gain their case on this point. But I can assure you that the European Commission is clearly determined to put this question on the table, “said Maros Sefcovic, asked about the possibility of a preferential rate for this sector.
Sefcovic was expressed after the European Union and the United States clarified the commitments made during the agreement concluded last month, which provides for an American customs right of 15 % on most imports from the block, including cars, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and wood.
This same rate also applies to European wines and spirits, despite the efforts of the sector to obtain a reduced or even zero rate.
Consequence: American buyers of French champagne, Irish whiskey or Italian prosecco could see prices significantly climb, customs duties affecting some $ 10 billion in alcoholic drinks annually, according to analysts.
Among the marks concerned are the Guinness Diageo beer and the Irish Whiskey Jameson de Pernod Ricard.
The distilled Spirits Council of the United States, professional organization representing producers and distributors of spirits, demanded the permanent abolition of customs duties on both sides and expresses its disappointment that no preferential price has been concluded.
“Without a permanent return to the rule of zero customs law for spirits, American distillers have not the certainty necessary to plan their exports and the growth of employment, without fear of the return of tariff retaliation measures,” he said.
The organization added that it was “determined to continue dialogue with the Trump administration to encourage new negotiations”.
A message relayed by Hervé Dumesny, director general of Spiritseurope, the European Federation of the sector.
“We urge both parties to stay at the negotiating table and quickly reach a complete return to the zero rule for zero,” he said.
“This means reaffirming support for our sector on both sides of the Atlantic by eliminating American customs duties on European spirits and raising any European retaliation measure suspended on American products. »»
The absence of a preferential agreement for European alcoholic beverages in the trade agreement announced Thursday constitutes “a huge disappointment”, told Reuters Gabriel Picard, president of the federation of wines and spirits in France (FEVS).
He estimates that this tax, combined at unfavorable exchange rates, could lead to an annual drop of around 1 billion euros in the turnover of the French sector.
The EU announced on August 5 a six -month suspension of retaliating customs duties on American imports, including spirits and wine, according to the American council of spirits.
