Italian wine distributors in the US have already prepared for the Donald Trump cyclone. With the new star-spangled administration that has debuted after the swearing-in of the new US president, clouds of possible duties are gathering on the tricolor labels, so the market has anticipated possible protectionist moves. The numbers speak for themselves: at the end of 2024, there was a leap forward in the US, first of all with the export of sparkling wines overseas in the month of November, which grew in volume by 41%, while for bottled still wines the increase was lower, but still generous: 17%. According to the Observatory of the Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv), the first post-election data reflects, in particular when looking at Italian sparkling wines, the sudden rush to stockpiles in anticipation of the duties on imported goods announced by the new president, Donald Trump. Now, however, we need to be careful and take action to avoid the possibility of a block in the export of Italian wine, by activating the policy in defense of one of the most exposed sectors.
Exports of Italian wine and sparkling wines: after the election of Donald Trump, +41% for bubbles in the US in November
Sparkling wine exports to the US in November grew in volume by 41%, while bottled still wines grew by 17%. According to the Observatory of the Italian Wine Union (Uiv), this is the first post-election data that reflects, in particular for Italian sparkling wines, the sudden rush to stockpiles in anticipation of the duties on imported goods announced by the new president, Donald Trump.
A boom in Italian sparkling wine and good news also for bottled still wines on the US market. In the post-election month, Donald Trump’s victory, also accompanied by the strong dollar, led to a +7% increase in volumes shipped from Italy to the United States in the first 11 months of 2024, with a surge in sparkling wines (3 out of 4 bottles of Prosecco) of 19.5%.
“The good news,” explains the president of Unione italiana vini, Lamberto Frescobaldi, “is that the numbers confirm that Americans are not willing to give up our wines, especially sparkling wines; the bad news is the tariff factor, which is increasingly imminent.”
“With an export value that in 2024 will exceed 1.9 billion euros, the United States is worth 24% of Italian wine exports. A significant share, more than double the American incidence on the total exports made in Italy, which particularly exposes the sector in an already difficult phase. For this reason, we ask the Italian government to pay maximum attention in managing a dossier that could prove decisive for the commercial future of wine.”
According to the Uiv Observatory, the peak in orders recorded is unprecedented in the history of sparkling wine exports in the month of November with a value of approximately 54 million euros (+29%).
“Inevitably,” adds Uiv Secretary General Paolo Castelletti, “the US will be under even more scrutiny this year, not only for the feared duties but also for the new guidelines on food consumption. For this reason, in the coming months we will be in New York at the United Nations to bring a message of conscious and moderate consumption that identifies the vast majority of wine consumers.”
