Although the threat of tariffs on many EU products (wine included) is suspended, it’s better to prepare for what might occur next.
Italian winemakers are worried, not frightened.
When the 57th edition of Vinitaly, the most important international exhibition of Italian wines, opened on April 6, nearly everyone in the Italian wine world braced for a 20% duty on exporting Italian wines to the United States. But this news didn’t spoil the euphoric and glamorous atmosphere of Vinitaly.
After an initial moment of bewilderment and disappointment, the event went on as usual, although tariffs were one of the most discussed topics during the exhibition. Because of the presence of 1,200 top buyers — with the Americans in pole position — many Italian wine producers took advantage to discuss with them what to do next.
“It’s too early to plan a reaction," says Raffaele Librandi, president of Cirò Consortium in Calabria. “Our US market share is only 5%, so the harm would be limited. Anyway, we and many other Italian wine producers prefer to wait and see what happens in the next few days.”
You can read the rest of the article (published on Forbes.com) here.