In an effort to get French President Emmanuel Macron to join his newly formed Board of Peace aimed at resolving global conflicts, President Donald Trump threatened to slap an enormous import tax on French wines coming into the U.S., during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 20.
“I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and Champagnes, and he’ll join, but he doesn’t have to join,” Trump said.
Trump also made and subsequently rolled back threats of tariffs on European nations who opposed plans for the U.S. to acquire Greenland. But with the Board of Peace formed and France absent from the list of countries who joined, Trump has yet to bring the idea up again.
Should a 200% tariff come to pass, the average price for a bottle of French wine in the U.S. would rise by roughly $23.60, according to wine data firm VIVI Economics.
“It would be a skull and crossbones for French wine in America,” says Ian Cauble, a master sommelier and founder of U.S.-based wine business The Caubleist, adding that it would be nearly impossible to find a well-priced French wine in the U.S. if those duties were put into place.
