Lisbon, Aug. 22, 2025 (Lusa) - ViniPortugal on Friday called on the European Commission to continue its diplomatic and negotiating efforts with the United States (US) to reverse the application of a 15% customs duty on wines, in a crucial market for national exports.

"ViniPortugal is deeply disappointed with the outcome of the negotiations, given that this measure will severely affect exports to the US, an essential market for Portuguese wines," the national wine industry association said in a statement.

The organisation therefore considered it "essential that the European Commission continues its diplomatic and negotiating efforts with a view to reversing these tariffs and safeguarding the interests of European producers".

On Thursday, the European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič, announced that the bloc had been unable to reach an agreement with the US on a customs exemption for wine products, which had been demanded in particular by Italy and France.

Like most EU products, wine will face a 15% tariff increase to enter the US market.

"The impact will be particularly serious for low-end wines, which represent the majority of Portuguese exports to the US," said ViniPortugal, explaining that "these consumers are more sensitive to price variations, so it is estimated that the drop in the market could exceed 20%, with significant consequences for the entire sector."

According to figures released by the association, in the first six months of this year, there was a 6.9% drop in value and a 2.28% drop in volume in exports to the US, compared to the same period last year, figures that the application of the new tariff could exacerbate.

"This situation is even more worrying when we consider that countries like Chile, Argentina or Australia only face tariffs of 10% and are therefore able to reach the market with more competitive prices," stressed ViniPortugal.

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