“US Tariffs? The consequences will be devastating for Italian wine.” Cooperatives criticise Italian politics

Luca Rigotti sharply rebukes national politics during his hearing before the Agriculture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. The president of the wine sector at Fedagripesca Confcooperative issued a clear warning about the US market, urging institutions to make a concerted effort to meet the needs of businesses.

“If the 10% tariffs on wine exports to the United States are confirmed by the Trump administration, the medium- and long-term impact on Italian wineries would be devastating,” said Rigotti, emphasising that, according to Confcooperative estimates, Italy currently stands to lose “between 8% and 12% of exported volumes, amounting to up to €190 million in value.”

Luca Rigotti

The risk of EU counter-tariffs on the US

Rigotti, who spoke in Parliament on Wednesday 20 May, alongside Agci-Agrital and Legacoop Agroalimentare on behalf of cooperative wineries, as part of the fact-finding investigation into the outlook of the wine sector, called for strong diplomatic action, grounded in a “constructive dialogue that can defuse tensions.”

According to the cooperative union, it is crucial that wine and other US alcoholic beverages are not included in the EU Commission’s black list, currently being developed as a countermeasure to US tariffs.

“The US market,” Rigotti reminded the committee, “remains the main destination for Italian wine exports” (€1.94 billion in 2024 turnover, up 10.2% on 2023).

More flexibility to tackle US-related challenges

So where should action be taken, according to Rigotti?

The request is for greater derogations and flexibility concerning the OCM Wine measure for third-country promotion, which Masaf announced only a few days ago for the 2025/2026 campaign.

Fedagripesca Confcooperative is specifically asking for:

• more funding for the promotion of European wine in the US market;
• administrative flexibility to adjust projects if the US market becomes effectively prohibitive for European wine;
• and the definitive removal of the five-year limit on wine information and promotion campaigns in non-EU markets.