March 25, 2025 7:41 am
The Distilled Spirits of the United States (DISCUS) today issued a call to action in partnership with the Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition as uncertainty about tariffs continues. A DISCUS petition campaign urging the administration not to impose tariffs on spirits generated nearly 13,000 signatures earlier this year.
Now, Spirits United is expanding its campaign efforts with the Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition, a group of 54 associations representing the entire three-tier chain of the U.S. alcohol industry and related industries. The new campaign urges the administration to secure fair and reciprocal tariff-free trade with our key trading partners. Consumers, distillers, vintners, the hospitality and retail sectors, and other industry stakeholders can take action here.
“The coalition is urging everyone connected to the spirits and wine industries, from bartenders, consumers, manufacturers, farmers, importers and exporters, to tell the administration that tariffs on distilled spirits and wines put American jobs at risk and must be eliminated,” said Chris Swonger, DISCUS President and CEO. “Securing fair and reciprocal tariff-free trade with our key trading partners will lead to an increase in U.S. wine and spirits exports and investments, and U.S. job growth. We need toasts, not tariffs!”


BACKGROUND

• Nearly 86% of U.S. spirits exports go to countries that have eliminated tariffs on all U.S. spirits, and approximately 98% of spirits imports originate from countries that have eliminated tariffs on U.S. spirits.
• U.S. spirits have achieved duty-free (zero-for-zero) access with 51 trading partners.
• Most U.S. wine exports go to countries with low or zero import duties.
• Now: Canada is imposing a 25% tariff on American spirits and wines and has pulled these products off store shelves in most provinces.
• April 2: The U.S. could impose 25% tariffs on tequila, mezcal and Canadian whisky, when the current suspension expires.
• April 2: The U.S. could impose tariffs on wines and spirits from a range of countries, including a 200% tariff on European Union (EU) alcohol products.
• April 13: The EU’s previously imposed 25% tariff on American whiskeys is currently suspended. However, if there is no agreement on steel and aluminum, tariffs are scheduled to be reinstated at 50%. The EU could also impose tariffs on additional categories of U.S. spirits and wines.

We urge President Trump to lift the tariffs on Mexican and Canadian distilled spirits and wine due to the special nature of our products. We commend the administration’s objectives to protect the American people and support jobs in the United States, however, we are concerned these tariffs will not contribute to that effort.
Many wine and spirits categories, such as Tequila and Bourbon, are designated as distinctive products that can only be produced in certain geographical regions around the world. As a result, the production of these products cannot simply be moved to another country or region.
American wines and spirits have benefitted from fair and reciprocal trade with Canada and Mexico. These U.S. tariffs on Mexico and Canada will result in great harm to U.S. companies and employees throughout the wine and spirits supply chain, from restaurants, bars and retail outlets, to shippers and importers/exporters of spirits and wine products. We are also greatly troubled that U.S. alcohol products are being removed from Canadian stores as a result of this trade dispute and will now also face retaliatory tariffs in Canada.
U.S. wines and spirits are made with agricultural products sourced from farmers across the United States. Our products are key pillars of the U.S. hospitality industry supporting restaurants and bars across the country. Sales of wine and spirits in the U.S. have slowed in recent years, and restaurants in cities across the country continue to try to stabilize post Covid. Hitting wine and spirits with tariffs will further stall their recovery and hurt U.S. consumers.
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The Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition is a group of 52 associations representing the entire three-tier chain of the U.S. alcohol industry and related industries.