French wine and spirits exporters saw their worst results since 2020’s Covid-19 shock last year, as companies were buffeted by stormy trade relations between China and the US, two of their biggest export markets.
“It’s weighing on everyone’s morale,” said Gabriel Picard, president of the French Federation of Wine and Spirit Exporters (FEVS), during a press conference in Paris on Tuesday where he presented the annual figures.
France exported a total of €14.3 billion (117.5 billion yuan) of wine and spirits last year, down by 7.9 per cent. More specifically, wine exports were down 4.1 per cent to €10.5 billion and spirit exports were down 17.4 per cent to €3.7 billion – with cognac exports plunging 23.8 per cent – according to FEVS data.
The total export value declined for the third consecutive year and marked the lowest point since 2020, Picard said, adding that a rebound this year might be difficult given the context.
The 15 per cent tariffs US President Donald Trump imposed on French wine and spirits – along with similar duties levied by Beijing in response to EU tariffs on imports of China’s electric vehicles – were the main factors that dragged down the total exports, according to Picard.
While the United States remained the biggest export market for French wine and spirits at €3 billion, Trump’s tariffs, together with a strong euro, reduced exports by 21.2 per cent in 2025.
