Italian wine exports to the United States stagnated in July and August (-28% in value), despite anti-tariff "discounts" from Italian producers, who lowered their prices by an average of approximately 17% during the period. This is the summary of the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) Observatory's findings on exports to the US in the first eight months of 2025, a year in which exports gradually deteriorated in line with the introduction of tariffs, with the value trend going from +12.5% in the first quarter to -3% in the first eight months. This reversal of trend was driven in particular by the slump in July (-26% compared to the same period in 2024) – reported today by Istat – and in August (-30%), the first month subject to 15% tariffs. And the short-term outlook, according to the UIV Observatory, is not positive: according to provisional customs data highlighted by the DG Taxud (EU Commission), a further double-digit contraction is expected in September.

"As expected," said Lamberto Frescobaldi , president of the Italian Wine Union, "tariffs and the weak dollar have impacted market performance. The situation, which saw declining US consumption and, at the same time, an increase in orders for inventories, could not be maintained for long, and the data from the summer two-month period confirms this. Companies are now called upon to look to the medium to long term: on the one hand, it will be important to seize the opportunity to further improve efficiency and management; on the other, to strengthen their presence in foreign markets, starting with the United States during the stabilization phase. In this context, institutional intervention in the areas of promotion and internationalization will be crucial. We are therefore closely monitoring the next Budget, which should allocate additional resources to wine promotion through the Italian Trade Agency (ITA)."

According to the Observatory, the export balance (customs basis) to non-EU countries in the first eight months shows a trend with declines exceeding 3% in value and 4% in volume, due to contractions in value especially in China (-27%), Russia (-26%), but also in Japan (-5%), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (-3% and -2.5%). Among the main buyers, Canada continues to surge (+10.5%).