Will the Bulldozer Trump destroy 30 years of passion from the American experienced public with Roussillon wines? Ouenophiles from across the Atlantic had indeed learned to discover and love these drinks produced in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques less known internationally than Bordeaux or Burgundy. They owed it in particular to the exceptional work of Robert Parker, a great American prospector, whose famous guide has long made the rain and the good weather.
Ten days after the US president’s blood stroke and the threat (for the moment verbal) to establish 200 % customs duties on European wines and spirits, the producers of Roussillon share between anger and expectation. “For the moment we have no documents available on the part of the American administration. We are worried because if the surcharge is applied, this will constitute a disaster for us as for the other producers of Roussillon, dreads Jean-Marc Lafage who operates with his ex-wife Éliane a “collection” of six domains in Roussillon.
“Today,” says Jean-Marc Lafage, the only real novelty, it is a letter from our importer Éric Solomon who means that he suspends any movement of wine bottles until further notice, surcharged or not. “When Trump wants us to hurt us, he also hurts his own country. When a container of European wines worth $ 100,000 arrives in the United States, our partners the importers will have to pay $ 200,000, which ultimately amounts to triple the price of our bottle. But who can now agree to suddenly pay the price three times? Summarizes the winegrower.
Europe has set fire to the powder by taxing bourbon!
Jean Marc Lafage closely follows the position of Europe on American bourbon whose taxation has set fire to customs powders. “Perhaps Europe will go back to defuse this customs war still wants to believe that for whom the States market now represents 8 % of its exports (300,000 well-valued bottles and during American consumption, especially in rosés and white). Against 28 % at the time of the first Trump sequence in power before the 25 % tax on European wines.
“Eight years back, we have suffered, to descend to 15 % at the end of the first Trump presidency,” said it at Lafage which has developed from the French and European market, after this too short American upturn encouraged by the discovery and the loss of tasting notes, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate. The universal pope of vintages had brought to the pinnacle each year, up to a hundred bottles in Roussillon, including around twenty references to Lafage at more than 91 points out of 100, in other words excellence.
In the premises of the Interprofessional Council of Wines of Roussillon (CIVR), the time is for mobilization but also for concern. “We alerted the parliamentarians. We have sent with the other interprofessions of the Occitanie region a letter to the President of the Republic. If the 200 % tax falls on us, it will be a real disaster for all the players in this terroir already experienced by drought and a historical drop in yields over the past three years. While the United States is still one of the major destinations for our wines today, ”alerts Jean Christophe Bourquin, the president of the CIVR.
Specific labels for the US market
In its cooperative cellar of Pena Castle, American consumers weigh 15 % of dry wines, mainly rosés and whites. “For this year 2025, we are safe. Our importer had claimed the bottles for the month of January. But it is for the future that it will be more complicated in the event of the application of the new tax, ”continues Jean Christophe Bourquin.
“Especially since we had planned to revive this market with high valuation in 2026. In volume, there is a slight decline in deliveries but in value, we note a good growth between 2022 and 2023, with a valuation in the liter which jumped from $ 6.38 to $ 8.51”, adds Éric Aracil, export manager for the American market. “And the worst, you see is that if there is a tax, we will find it difficult to replace these bottles on another market with often specific labels,” laments Jean Christophe Bourquin, crossing his fingers.