Italy's Chianti wine makers eye South America, Asia amid U.S. tariff threat

Japan Times

2 days ago

Producers of Italy's renowned Chianti wine have demanded a new export strategy backed by the EU targeting markets such as South America, Asia and Africa following U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of additional tariffs on European imports.
Italy currently exports more wine to the U.S. than any other country, but producers are increasingly looking to diversify amid the trade uncertainty.
"There is no point in feeling sorry for ourselves. It should be seen as an opportunity to accelerate a new export strategy, focusing on alternative and more stable markets," said Giovanni Busi, the president of Consorzio Vino Chianti, an association gathering the Chianti wine producers in the Tuscany region.
Trump on Saturday threatened to impose a 30% tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1, adding pressure on Italy, which exported €2 billion ($2.3 billion) worth of wines, spirits and vinegars to the U.S. last year, accounting for a quarter of its global sales, according to industry group Federvini.
Busi identified South America, Asia and Africa as pivotal markets for Italian wine, citing Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay as regions with significant growth potential.
He also noted increased demand in Asian markets, including China, Japan, Vietnam and Taiwan, emphasizing the need for targeted promotion and distribution strategies.
"Africa and India are also areas where the wine consumption is beginning to spread," he added, encouraging structured efforts to penetrate these markets.
Matteo Lunelli, CEO of Spumante sparkling wine producer Gruppo Lunelli, shared Busi's worries, highlighting opportunities in Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and the Middle East, while also identifying Canada as a growing market.
"The United States were our first country, now we need to pay more attention to other areas," Lunelli told daily la Repubblica on Monday.
Producers of Prosecco, the wine made in the northeastern Veneto and Friuli regions, are deeply concerned about the prospect of new tariffs.
They sell around 130 million bottles every year to the United States — around 30% of their total export — worth almost €500 million.
"Prolonged uncertainty weighs on the strategic choices of companies; we hope for a final and reasonable decision," Consorzio Prosecco president Giancarlo Guidolin said in a statement.
Meanwhile, across the Mediterranean, Spanish winemakers are also eyeing Canada as a potential market, along with Southeast Asia and Latin American countries, hoping reciprocal tariffs on American wines might generate a gap in the market.
Carlos Villar, managing director of top Spanish winemaker Protos, said Mexico was already his primary market, and Brazil could open up if a European trade agreement with Mercosur is finally inked.
Jose Luis Benitez, director of the FEV Spanish Wine Federation, said Mexico was a good short- to medium-term option, particularly for Spain's Ribera del Duero wines, but as a country that increasingly produces its own wine, would only take any surplus for so long.
Canada was a good alternative, he said. "Canada has told Europe that it's interested in buying its wines because it won't buy in the U.S.," he said. "That's a gap that European wine could plug."