05/03/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/18DKMwbFoo/?mibextid=wwXIfr
California wineries are left in the dust by domestic polices they have no control over nor support … I hope European consumers make educated choices knowing that California is still the land that stands firmly with people’s rights and respects people’s choices
Did tariffs on imported wines help American wineries? If so it's hard to see.
American wineries faced headwinds in 2025 that included demographic shifts, reduced tourism, and higher input costs. Standard economic doctrine would suggest that tariffs on imported wines should have helped. They didn't.
Some of the impacts of the tariffs were predictable, like that input costs would have gone up, that sales to export markets would have fallen, and that tasting rooms would see fewer international visitors.
According to economic theory, tariffs on imports should have shifted buyers toward domestic wines. But the data doesn't show it. Wholesale sales by volume on both imports and domestic wines fell about the same 5%. Direct-to-consumer sales volume from American wineries fell 15%.
Last year, Jason argued in a blog that proposed 200% tariffs on European wines would pose new and substantial risks to American wineries. Those very high tariffs didn't come to pass, and so some of the worst systemic consequences were averted. In this week's blog Jason explores why even the lower tariffs (between 10% and 30%, depending on country) didn't help American wine in 2025, and why continued tariffs have become one of the many headwinds we're having to fight.
https://blog.tablascreek.com/2026/03/did-tariffs-on-imported-wines-help-american-wineries-if-so-its-hard-to-see-how/