On 2 October 2024, representatives from the US, EU and French spirits sectors came together to demonstrate the deep interconnectedness of the US & EU spirits sectors and to call for the permanent removal of retaliatory tariffs on spirits in the frame of the steel and aluminium and large civil aircraft disputes. Speaking on a panel alongside representatives from USTR, DISCUS and BNIC, spiritsEUROPE Trade & Economic Affairs Director Pauline Bastidon highlighted the unity and interconnectedness of the sector at Transatlantic level, the challenges posed by the potential return of retaliatory tariffs on spirits and the need to support a positive cooperation agenda on spirits across the Atlantic for continued growth and sustainability. The event was organised by the European American Chamber of Commerce (EACC), in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Paris, spiritsEUROPE, Pernod Ricard, Moët Hennessy, and the Fédération des Exportateurs de Vins et Spiritueux (FEVS).
The discussion took place at the Hôtel de Talleyrand, George C. Marshall Center in Paris. This historic venue, where the Marshall Plan was launched, provided a fitting backdrop for the conversation on strengthening transatlantic cooperation in the spirit drinks trade. The cross-investments in both the EU & US of the sector, as well as the common outlook on many shared challenges, from market access issues in third countries to sustainability, call for even deeper cooperation. To get there, the first step must be a permanent return to the zero-for-zero agreement in spirits, which had made EU-US trade in spirits tariff-free from 1997 to 2018, resulting in a +450% growth in bilateral trade in spirits over the same period.
The spirits sector stressed with one voice the importance of spirits production in the US, EU & France for rural territories and the rural economies, as well as the hospitality and tourism sectors, highlighting that significant value is created along the chain, from farm to glass. With 250 geographical indications in the EU and many iconic distinctive products in the US, the international reputation of EU, French and US spirit drinks is both a driver of competitiveness and a guarantee of local jobs, as production of Cognac, Bourbon or Irish Whiskey cannot be relocated elsewhere.
At a time of political transition at both EU & US levels and with growing global uncertainties in mind, the message of the spirits sector is clear, on both sides of the Atlantic: we want Toasts, not Tariffs!
