Raising a glass of Champagne will get more expensive under Trump's tariff plan
WASHINGTON _ That glass of Champagne being raised to welcome in the New Year is about to get a lot more expensive.
Absent a major breakthrough in trade negotiations with France, the Trump administration is preparing to raise tariffs on a host of French products _ including cheeses, wines and Champagne _ by mid-January. That move might result in a 100% tax increase on France's key exports in response to a pending digital tax imposed by Paris.
The U.S. move would severely impact the French wine industry and hit its sparkling wine varieties, which amount to over $775 million in exports to the United States each year, particularly hard.
American wholesalers, restaurateurs and business owners are warning the White House that its next round of tariffs could have a ripple effect well beyond the wine belt.
_McClatchy Washington Bureau
