Spanish wine, like European wine, is trembling. Donald Trump has decided to include it in the trade war that the United States is waging with the world and has threatened to impose a 200% tariff on them. This effectively means expelling Spanish wines from the U.S. market, a wine war that would particularly affect Catalan cavas and the wineries of Rioja and Ribera del Duero.
This is indicated by the export figures for wine to the United States provided by the tax technicians (Gestha), specifically from Customs technicians, corresponding to 2024, which total about €334.85 million. The region most affected by potential tariffs from the White House would be Catalonia.
The main foreign market for Catalan cava exports is the United States, accounting for 10% of the total. In 2024, €77.5 million of Catalan wine were sold in stores and restaurants in the United States. The second region that exports the most wine to the U.S. market (and therefore the second that could be most harmed by the increase in tariffs) is La Rioja, with €53.7 million. In third place is the Basque Country, with €36.38 million in wine exports to the United States, almost all from Álava. This means that the tariffs pose a significant threat to the wineries of the Qualified Designation of Origin Rioja. The rest of the Spanish regions lag far behind.
