Published March 13, 2025
10:29 AM EDT
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
- President Donald Trump threatened to enact a 200% tariff on European wine, champagne and other alcoholic beverages, a day after the European Union announced countermeasures on other levies he imposed.
- In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he would impose the tariffs if Europe progresses with a tax on U.S. whisky.
- Canada and the European Union hit back with retaliatory countermeasures Wednesday, as 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. went into effect.
President Donald Trump threatened to enact a 200% tariff on European wine, champagne and other alcoholic beverages, a day after the European Union announced countermeasures on other levies he imposed.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he would impose the tariffs if Europe progresses with a tax on U.S. whisky.
“If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES,” Trump said in his post Thursday morning. “This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S.”
The European Commission, the EU’s enforcement arm, said Wednesday that it was imposing tariffs starting April 1 that would apply to U.S. goods worth up to 26 billion euros ($28.4 billion) and cover a range of products—including boats, bourbon, and motorbikes. Those tariffs, as well as those announced by Canada, came Wednesday as Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs went into effect.
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