PARIS, June 15 (Reuters) – French wine and spirits exporters said on Monday U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of 100% tariffs on French wine and champagne was bad news for an export-dependent industry caught in a dispute beyond its control.
Trump warned the United States would “have no choice but to charge a 100% tariff on all champagnes and all wines coming out of France”, unless Paris scraps a digital tax of 3% on U.S. tech giants.
• “This new threat is bad news for our industry, which relies heavily on exports,” French wine and spirits exporters group FEVS said in a reaction to Reuters.
• The group urged “responsible behaviour”, calling for balanced and constructive trade ties between France and the United States, “in the interest of both economies”
• Trump previously threatened a 200% tariff on imports of wine and other alcoholic beverages from France and the EU, for instance in January this year and March last year as transatlantic trade tension rose.
(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
