The American market continues to weigh on Italian wine's financial situation. According to an analysis by the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) Observatory, in the first twelve months since the introduction of additional US tariffs, the sector lost over €340 million in exports to the United States, with a 17% contraction in value and a 9% drop in volume, reaching a ten-year low.
The data comes at an already delicate time for the sector. In the first two months of 2026, according to Istat data, overall Italian wine exports recorded a 13,3% year-on-year decline, falling to €1,03 billion. The slowdown in the American market, which represents the primary commercial outlet for Italian wine, with a pre-tax export share of 24% and annual shipments approaching €2 billion, has had a decisive impact.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, the value of exports to the United States fell to €1,65 billion, compared to €1,99 billion in the same period before. Bottled still wines suffered the sharpest decline, with revenues falling to €1,05 billion, a decline of nearly 19%, while sparkling wines lost 14%, reaching €588 million.
According to UIV, Italian companies have attempted to limit the impact of tariffs by reducing average price lists by nearly 9%, thus easing the burden of duties on American consumers. This strategy, however, has contributed to the decline in the average value of exports.
Despite the negative outlook, some signs of possible stabilization are emerging. In March, volumes shipped overseas increased slightly for the first time after nine consecutive months of decline, while a slight recovery in value is expected in April. The first quarter of 2026 remains significantly negative, especially in terms of revenue, which fell 21%.
US consumption data, compiled by SipSource, also shows a slight recovery in Italian wine sales in March. If this trend were to consolidate in the coming months, it could translate into a gradual return of orders.
"In an already challenging environment due to the structural decline in consumption in terms of volume," declared UIV President Lamberto Frescobaldi, "tariffs and the resulting devaluation of the dollar have further accentuated the decline in a crucial market for our wine."
Frescobaldi then called for a political and diplomatic response at the European level: "We expect a strong reaction from European diplomacy to achieve, in the coming months, the stabilization of relations with the US, including through the conclusion of the Turnberry Agreement."
The UIV president also recalled Mario Draghi's recent reflections on the need to strengthen the European internal market, calling on the 27 member states to remove legislative barriers that, according to the sector, amount to a 45% "internal tariff" on manufactured goods.
For Frescobaldi, the response to the crisis also involves strengthening promotional activities on international markets: "Market difficulties must be addressed with a proportionally greater promotional presence. Institutional support will be crucial for this."
Overall, the first quarter of 2026 showed widespread decline in exports to non-EU countries, down 12,5% in value. In addition to the United States, the United Kingdom (-11%) and Switzerland (-10%) also declined, while Canada remained stable (+0,4%). Russia (+27%) and Brazil (+12%) grew, while Japan lost 6%.
