Italian wine exports to the United States returned to growth in July, but the summer recovery is still not enough to offset the losses accumulated in 2026. According to the Unione Italiana Vini Observatory, shipments to Italy's largest foreign market increased by almost 10% in value compared to July 2025, while volumes rose by 1,3% and the average price by over 8%.
The result reduces the cumulative decline for the first seven months of the year to 11%, which in June was 14%. UIV expects even more marked growth for August and estimates that the cumulative decline could fall to around 9,5%, while noting that this compares with a particularly weak summer of 2025, when losses for the two-month period approached 30%.
"It's too early to predict a reversal in overseas shipments," warns UIV Secretary General Paolo Castelletti, noting that US consumption hasn't yet shown a significant recovery. Two consecutive months of growth, he adds, haven't been recorded since the beginning of 2025, and are helping to ease market tension ahead of the autumn events with American operators, starting with Vinitaly in New York in October.
However, the impact of the trading year between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, remains grim: the value of exports, adjusted for inflation, stood at €1,634 billion, the lowest level since 2015-2016. Compared to the average of the previous five years, the real decline is 15%, in a context marked by tariffs, a weak dollar, and declining wine demand.
According to Carlo Flamini, head of the UIV Observatory, the difficulties are part of a transformation in consumption that has been underway for years: preferences within the sector are changing, with greater emphasis on sparkling wines and cocktails, but competition from other beverages and more convenient formats is also growing. The summer rebound therefore offers a sign of relief for businesses, while it remains to be seen whether it will translate into a lasting recovery in the American market.
