The wine world admits "concern" over Trump's tariff threat

Albert Hernàndez / Maria Asmarat/Barcelona - The wine world has shown itself "concerned" at the start of the fifth edition of the Barcelona Wine Week, which is being held from this Monday to Wednesday at the Montjuïc site of the Fira de Barcelona, ??due to the threat of imposing tariffs by the president of the United States, Donald Trump, on products from the European Union. This was stated by the president of the show and of the Cava Designation of Origin, Javier Pagés, in statements to the ACN, and at the same time he pointed out that this market represents 10% of exports and could lead to a reduction in sales. However, Pagés has called for "waiting" to learn the details of the American administration's intention.

Pagès specified that 20 million bottles are sent to the United States annually and that is why he highlighted the “concern” of the sector. At the same time, he calculated that the North American market is between the first and second place as a destination for these Catalan goods and this year he predicted that “it will be so again”. On the other hand, the president of the show recalled that in the previous Trump term, taxes were already applied, but in the case of sparkling wines “he was lucky” and they were not applied. For this reason, the also president of the DO Cava insisted that until we know “the size and importance of the tariff, we cannot make any plans”. In any case, Pagès asked “diplomats and politicians” to work so that this imposition by the White House does not become a reality.

United States, among the main markets for wine

Several producers consulted by the ACN confirm that the United States is among the main markets for Catalan wine. Freixenet's marketing director, Carlota Mensión, has admitted that in her case the North American country is in the top 5, along with England, France, Germany and Spain. "We are waiting," said the director when asked about the possible impact of the measure that Donald Trump wants to impose. "We are waiting," she reiterated. Along these lines, she recalls that in 2020, when the US also imposed tariffs on some products, cava was left out.

In turn, the CEO of Juvé & Camps, Meritxell Juvé, says that her company's exports are "very divided" and has assured that its markets are distributed "quite heterogeneously" between about twenty destinations, with special emphasis on Canada, the Scandinavian countries and also the United States. Thus, she has admitted that the imposition of tariffs "would not be favorable", but she also avoids quantifying it. Juvé has detailed that in her case, sales abroad represent 80% of the total.

Drought, an "endemic problem"

Regarding drought, an issue that marked the previous edition of the Barcelona Wine Week, this year the producers have assured that this has already become an "endemic problem". "This year it will certainly be less problematic, but we must take into account that the climate is changing and this clearly affects the vineyards", stated Juvé. “We have to work with public administrations to find a long-term solution that doesn't mean always looking at what's happening in the sky, because climate change is a reality,” he added.

Along the same lines, Freixenet's marketing director indicated that the lack of water “cannot be fixed from one year to the next,” but assured that this year's expectations “are more positive.”

For his part, the president of Barcelona Wine Week warned that if it doesn't rain, there will be “problems” again in the vineyards, such as wineries that have had to “reduce sales so as not to run out of product,” although he expects “a normal year, again,” thanks to the rainfall during the second half of last year. However, he clarified that in 2025 “we will continue, in some way, to suffer from the issue of drought at the product level.”

“Record edition”

The president of the fifth edition of the Barcelona Wine Week has described this year’s fair as a “record”, because it has expanded to 10,000 square meters spread over two pavilions of the Fira de Barcelona. “More than 1,200 wineries, which is impressive, 80 designations of origin and more than 800 international buyers invited by the fair itself”, specified Pagès. At the same time, he added that there will be “presentations, tastings and round tables talking about all the problems that surround the world of wine”.

The event has almost a hundred more wineries (952) this 2025, which is 33% more than last year, eight more designations of origin (81) and there are a total of 16 autonomous communities of the State, with Catalonia at the top in number of wineries (326) and Castile and León (233).