US duties are not present, but they weigh much. And “Prosecco world” writes to Minister Lollobrigida

As we often wrote these days, on WineNews, duties at 200% on EU wines and alcoholic drinks threatened by Trump, up to today, are only a bad perspective. But, it is already provoking some damages with the block of orders and expeditions from Europe and Italy. And, if, always in these days, appeals and letters of associations of category multiplied, and international representations addressed to the institutions of Usa and EU, to which the task of playing this crucial match for European wine is up but also for American business, many are the territories which are writing to Italian institutions, first of all to the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida because they do all the possible to unlock as soon as possible the impasse, and avoid the worst. This was made by the Consortia of Chianti, and of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from Tuscany, for example, and the wine Consortia do that, together (also this is a positive signal) leading, at this point since years, Italian exports, i.e. Prosecco. With a text, and some data symbolizing the seriousness of the situation, as Giancarlo Guidolin (Prosecco Doc), Franco Adami (Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Docg), and Michele Noal (Vini Asolo Montello) write.
“Dear Minister, we send you this document at the request of our productive system, which, for days, is coping with the suspension of Prosecco Doc, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Docg, and Asolo Prosecco Docg expeditions toward Usa market.
The worry of importers is determined by the threat of President Donald Trump to impose very heavy duties on our productions. The choice to freeze the orders was determined by the uncertainty of the period, also in absence of a provision by the American administration, considered that our wines – taking several weeks to arrive to the Usa – could see duties rise up to 200% “on the water”, i.e. exactly along the path between Italy and America risking to put into crisis the same importers without taking into consideration the very serious consequences of sending companies”.
Data of the letter explains the situation well: “only Prosecco Doc exports to the USA 130,000,000 bottles corresponding to about 23% of the export of the entire denomination, volumes generating a turnover of production of about 500 million euros; Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Docg exports over 3,500,000 bottles going to occupy only and exclusively the most qualified consumption sector, i.e. Horeca ensuring the highest price range; also for Docg Asolo Prosecco, the Usa represents one of the main target markets: the denomination, overall, exports about 75% of its production, which, last year, attested on 32,000,000 bottles”.
The disappearance of a similar market, write the three Consortia “would involve the necessity to target alternative countries where these productions can be collocated, and, in case of emergency, this involve a heavy contraction in value surely with consequences for our companies both in economic and social terms. We are sure that you will understand the seriousness of the situation, we hope that you intervene so that adequate actions are carried out – at a national and community level- aiming to solve the problem”, concludes the letter. This is the evidence of the tension which is breathed in all sector, also in one of the strongest and healthiest territories.