The Trump administration has just announced additional tariffs from the EU in retaliation for the long-running dispute over aircraft subsidies. The U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office said on Wednesday that it was targeting more European products because the EU used a time period that affected “substantially more products than would have been covered”. The official USTR notice can be found here.
In summary the below products from France and Germany will now be subject to the 25% tariff effective January 12, 2021.
- Wines over 14% in alcohol,
- Wines that are effervescent, but not sparkling wines
- Still wine in containers of over 2 liters
Full details of the ruling and affected products can be found here. Pages 11, 12 and 21, have the key details. P.21 has UK details.
We will be reaching out customers who have wine in transit that may be affected by these new tariffs.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- If my shipment was already on the ocean, or has been delayed, is there anyway to avoid the additional tariffs?
- Unfortunately, no.
- Can I cancel my order if it has not been picked up?
- Yes, please email po@elentenyimports.com and include the PO number
- Can my order cancel my order if it has been picked up but not yet shipped?
- As long as the order is still in the warehouse, then yes. The vineyard would have to agree for the order to be returned and there would be a cost associated with the return.
- What is the difference between effervescent and sparkling wine?
- Wines that are three bars of pressure or higher are “sparkling”. Wines that are below three bars of pressure are “effervescent” and is rarely used as a customs code
- Is Brandy or Cognac subject to the tariff?
- According to Part 18 of the additional tariff list, yes.
- Where can I find additional information?
- The US Wine Trade Alliance posted a summary of the tariff additions here. Their facebook group is also active.
