{"id":2166869,"date":"2026-09-27T14:16:04","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T11:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2166869"},"modified":"2026-09-27T14:16:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T11:16:04","slug":"collateral-damage-how-cognac-is-paying-the-price-for-europes-trade-wars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2166869","title":{"rendered":"Collateral damage: How Cognac is paying the price for Europe\u2019s trade wars"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/61\/50\/1200x675_cmsv2_a9cb48a1-108a-548c-b41c-d8c953930cdb-9926150.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2929105-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2929105\" data-cid=\"9929826\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929105-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/98\/26\/189x106_cmsv2_ffd36db2-3b84-57ca-b8fa-2a5ca872da94-9929826.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A man sleeps as protesters camp during a protest following the eviction last Wednesday of 87-year-old Maricarmen to demand stronger laws to protect renters.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Watch: mass Madrid protests over Maricarmen eviction and housing crisis\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929075-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2929075\" data-cid=\"9929712\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929075-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/97\/12\/189x106_cmsv2_2b27fa7c-c01f-5c52-965a-c03177415fa7-9929712.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Protesters block the Garvaghy road ahead of a Portadown District Loyal Orange Lodge (LOL) No 1 march in the first parade for almost 30 years\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Northern Ireland: 2,000 protesters block disputed Portadown march\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929055-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2929055\" data-cid=\"9929734\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929055-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/96\/31\/189x106_cmsv2_308ccd92-1383-5456-87c7-bf27fcf41e9b-9929631.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The demonstration filled Puerta del Sol in Madrid.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    S\u00e1nchez vows housing decree amid outrage over Maricarmen eviction\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929069-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2929069\" data-cid=\"9929796\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929069-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/96\/94\/189x106_cmsv2_6cee72b8-ea3c-5fde-9a93-9ad2908d8fb0-9929694.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Poster for the neutrality initiative in Switzerland, which failed this Sunday\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    How neutral should Switzerland be? Voters deliver decisive verdict\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929105-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2929105\" data-cid=\"9929826\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929105-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/98\/26\/189x106_cmsv2_ffd36db2-3b84-57ca-b8fa-2a5ca872da94-9929826.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A man sleeps as protesters camp during a protest following the eviction last Wednesday of 87-year-old Maricarmen to demand stronger laws to protect renters.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Watch: mass Madrid protests over Maricarmen eviction and housing crisis\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929075-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2929075\" data-cid=\"9929712\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929075-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/97\/12\/189x106_cmsv2_2b27fa7c-c01f-5c52-965a-c03177415fa7-9929712.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Protesters block the Garvaghy road ahead of a Portadown District Loyal Orange Lodge (LOL) No 1 march in the first parade for almost 30 years\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Northern Ireland: 2,000 protesters block disputed Portadown march\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929055-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2929055\" data-cid=\"9929734\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929055-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/96\/31\/189x106_cmsv2_308ccd92-1383-5456-87c7-bf27fcf41e9b-9929631.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The demonstration filled Puerta del Sol in Madrid.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    S\u00e1nchez vows housing decree amid outrage over Maricarmen eviction\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929069-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2929069\" data-cid=\"9929796\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929069-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/96\/94\/189x106_cmsv2_6cee72b8-ea3c-5fde-9a93-9ad2908d8fb0-9929694.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Poster for the neutrality initiative in Switzerland, which failed this Sunday\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    How neutral should Switzerland be? Voters deliver decisive verdict\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Collateral damage: How Cognac is paying the price for Europe\u2019s trade wars<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/61\/50\/1536x864_cmsv2_a9cb48a1-108a-548c-b41c-d8c953930cdb-9926150.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"A grape at the Cognac Pasquet vineyard in Bellevigne, near Cognac, southwestern France, Wednesday, July 23, 2025.\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              A grape at the Cognac Pasquet vineyard in Bellevigne, near Cognac, southwestern France, Wednesday, July 23, 2025.<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0AP Photo\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspPeggy Corlin\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1790402404\">\n                    Published on                 <time datetime=\"2026-09-26 08:00:04 +02:00\">26\/09\/2026 &#8211; 8:00 GMT+2<\/time><span class=\"c-article-publication-date__bullet\">\u2022<\/span>Updated<br \/>\n                                     <time datetime=\"2026-09-27 16:16:53 +02:00\">27\/09\/2026 &#8211; 16:16 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span 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class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"threads\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"threads\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        French Cognac producers are battling falling sales as trade disputes with China and the US squeeze the export-dependent industry and leave growers seeking EU support.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>As the Cognac harvest draws to a close in southwestern France, winegrowers already know they face another difficult year.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Cognac makers are struggling. The 300-year-old amber brandy is only produced around the Charente River, but it has been caught in the trade wars between the EU and China, as well as by tensions with its top export market, the US.<\/p>\n<p>For months, producers have watched largely powerless as access to both markets has been squeezed.<\/p>\n<p>The industry has a historic connection to the EU. Jean Monnet, the French statesman regarded as one of the EU&#8217;s founding fathers, came from a Cognac-producing family and worked in the family business.<\/p>\n<p>Today, however, the sector is in disarray as sales plummet. Cognac is overwhelmingly dependent on foreign markets, with 98% of production exported outside the EU.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>\u201cCollateral damage\u201d from trade wars<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Ironically, this year&#8217;s drought has helped bring supply closer to falling demand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe thought the harvest was going to be promising, but in the end the drought took its toll,\u201d Matthieu Augier, a winegrower in Gondeville, told Euronews. \u201cCompared with a typical year, we\u2019re looking at a 30 to 40% reduction in the harvest in economic terms. You could say in a way that nature helps regulate our surpluses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since 2023, Cognac sales have fallen from 230 million to 140 million bottles. The four main trading houses \u2013 R\u00e9my Martin, Hennessy, Martell and Courvoisier \u2013 had to slash their orders from winegrowers in the region after clients cancelled contracts.<\/p>\n<p>First, it was because of the trade war with China, the second-largest market after the US, which represents around 25% of Cognac\u2019s exports.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have been collateral damage in the trade war which started in 2023 between Brussels and Beijing over Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), a symbolic product for the EU market,\u201d Rapha\u00ebl Delpech, Director of the National Interprofessional Cognac Bureau (BNIC), told Euronews. <\/p>\n<p>France was among the strongest supporters of EU action against Chinese EVs over concerns that state subsidies were giving Chinese manufacturers an unfair advantage over European carmakers.<\/p>\n<p>Beijing retaliated by targeting European brandy. In 2024, it imposed provisional duties of up to 34.8%, just days after the EU <strong>imposed<\/strong> tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese EVs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.685\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/61\/50\/808x553_cmsv2_15a2649b-e6a4-5c84-bf8c-a25e2f32ab46-9926150.jpg\" alt=\"Barrels of Cognac dated from 1971 and 1985 are pictured in Bellevigne, near Cognac, southwestern France, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. \"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">Barrels of Cognac dated from 1971 and 1985 are pictured in Bellevigne, near Cognac, southwestern France, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. <\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>China later confirmed its measures but exempted major Cognac producers that agreed to sell above undisclosed minimum prices. By then, however, the damage had been done, according to the industry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce the Chinese government singled us out and associated us with an anti-Chinese European and French policy, consumers started to distance themselves,\u201d Delpech added. \u201cThe distributors stopped buying our bottles and stopped putting our products on their shelves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then came another blow, this time from the US, which accounts for around half of Cognac exports.<\/p>\n<p>During Donald Trump&#8217;s first administration, the US had already imposed tariffs on French Cognac as part of the long-running Boeing-Airbus trade dispute. The duties were later suspended under President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>But in April 2025, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on US trading partners. In July, the EU and US reached a deal at Turnberry, Scotland, setting a 15% tariff on most European exports to the US, including Cognac. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\" id=\"abe-article-related-1\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">EU Commission bewails &#8216;unfair&#8217; Chinese Cognac duties<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Von der Leyen and Trump strike EU-US trade deal with 15% tariff for the bloc<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>Turnberry talks stall<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The European wine and spirits industry has since lobbied hard for carve-outs from the 15% tariff.<\/p>\n<p>But uncertainty continues to weigh on the US market, where inflation has also pushed up prices. Trump has repeatedly threatened much higher tariffs on French wines and spirits as part of wider political disputes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt created an extremely anxiety-inducing environment for all our importers in the US, who, just as in China, eventually came to the conclusion that it was better to bet on something safer than Cognac,\u201d Delpech said.<\/p>\n<p>After EU lawmakers agreed in July 2026 to remove the bloc&#8217;s remaining tariffs on US goods covered by the Turnberry agreement, Washington agreed to reopen discussions on possible exemptions from the 15% tariff. So far, however, there has been little sign of progress for Cognac.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI get the impression that not much is moving forward,\u201d French MEP Eric Sargiacomo (S&amp;D), deputy chair of the European Parliament\u2019s intergroup on wines and spirits, told Euronews. \u201cThe only ones who have managed to make clear progress on this issue are the British.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The UK secured the removal of US tariffs on whisky in May, while Irish whiskey received similar treatment in mid-September. French Cognac, however, remains subject to the tariff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor us, the recovery will only come through the US market. That\u2019s obvious. China will come eventually, but it will be more complicated,\u201d Delpech said.<\/p>\n<p>The sector has written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and held talks with the Commission&#8217;s trade and agriculture departments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody knows us in Brussels,\u201d Delpech said. <\/p>\n<p>French President Emmanuel Macron also visited the region several times, and promised winegrowers they would be entitled to compensation. So far, however, none has arrived.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/61\/50\/808x539_cmsv2_ddc5f766-1b43-5818-b382-7595321de1d1-9926150.jpg\" alt=\"View of vineyards in Bellevigne, near Cognac, southwestern France, Wednesday July 23, 2025.\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">View of vineyards in Bellevigne, near Cognac, southwestern France, Wednesday July 23, 2025.<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>Cognac, &#8216;a textbook case for Europe&#8217;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Delpech argues that the Cognac crisis raises a broader question about how the EU protects sectors hurt by retaliation against European trade measures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe European policy cannot be strong if it does not protect the industries that bear the brunt of these trade-offs,\u201d he added. \u201cSo, when it is deliberately decided that in order to protect the EU automotive industry, Cognac will suffer by losing markets and being subject to sanctions from China, there needs to be a solidarity mechanism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To adapt to lower demand, the industry has launched two vine-grubbing schemes backed by financial support.<\/p>\n<p>The first offers growers support to remove vines permanently, but take-up has been limited. Applications cover just 560 hectares out of the 96,000 hectares within the Cognac appellation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA vineyard is a means of production,\u201d Augier said. \u201cWhen you plant a vineyard, you\u2019re planting it for at least 40 to 50 years. It\u2019s a form of heritage.\u201d The winegrower, who is only 40 years old, might instead choose the second type of vine-grubbing offered for some of its vines, which is temporary: he will not be able to replant them for five years, but he will keep his vineyard.<\/p>\n<p>The slump is weighing on the wider regional economy. Cognac supports around 70,000 direct and indirect jobs in France. Alongside some 260 trading houses that age and sell the spirit, the industry sustains barrel and cask makers, still manufacturers, transport companies and agricultural contractors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCognac is a textbook case for Europe,\u201d Sargiacomo said. \u201cI understand why other agricultural sectors are now questioning Europe\u2019s ability to come to their aid if they were to face difficulties as a result of free-trade agreements, anti-dumping measures, or tariffs imposed from outside.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label 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data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  EU Policy<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  China<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Trade war<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  United States<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Wine<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tp-vuukle\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__header\"><span class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__title\">Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" 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id=\"abe-2929005-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/27\/31\/320x180_cmsv2_1e29541d-9c54-5fb8-b3d5-693f58218af8-9572731.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen at a press conference on the phasing out of Russian fossil fuels, December 2025.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    EU tells capitals to cut gas demand amid rising supply concerns<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928893-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928893\" data-cid=\"9929054\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure 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<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928961-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928961\" data-cid=\"9929302\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Russian foreign minister rejects Berlin&#8217;s call to abandon escalation<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928870-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928870\" data-cid=\"9928977\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Fat Bear Week returns as Alaska&#8217;s biggest bears compete for the crown<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928759-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928759\" data-cid=\"9928738\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Trump rejects Iranian plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928830-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928830\" data-cid=\"9928844\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Thousands take to the streets in Madrid over Ceuta migrant crisis<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">As the Cognac harvest draws to a close in southwestern France, winegrowers already know they face another difficult year.Cognac makers are struggling. The 300-year-old amber brandy is only produced around the Charente River, but it has been caught in the trade wars between the EU and China, as well as by tensions with its top export market, the US.For months, producers have watched largely powerless as access to both markets has been squeezed.The industry has a historic connection to the EU. Jean Monnet, the French statesman regarded as one of the EU&#8217;s founding fathers, came from a Cognac-producing family and worked in the family business.Today, however, the sector is in disarray as sales plummet. Cognac is overwhelmingly dependent on foreign markets, with 98% of production exported outside the EU.\u201cCollateral damage\u201d from trade warsIronically, this year&#8217;s drought has helped bring supply closer to falling demand.\u201cWe thought the harvest was going to be promising, but in the end the drought took its toll,\u201d Matthieu Augier, a winegrower in Gondeville, told Euronews. \u201cCompared with a typical year, we\u2019re looking at a 30 to 40% reduction in the harvest in economic terms. You could say in a way that nature helps regulate our surpluses.\u201dSince 2023, Cognac sales have fallen from 230 million to 140 million bottles. The four main trading houses \u2013 R\u00e9my Martin, Hennessy, Martell and Courvoisier \u2013 had to slash their orders from winegrowers in the region after clients cancelled contracts.First, it was because of the trade war with China, the second-largest market after the US, which represents around 25% of Cognac\u2019s exports.\u201cWe have been collateral damage in the trade war which started in 2023 between Brussels and Beijing over Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), a symbolic product for the EU market,\u201d Rapha\u00ebl Delpech, Director of the National Interprofessional Cognac Bureau (BNIC), told Euronews.France was among the strongest supporters of EU action against Chinese EVs over concerns that state subsidies were giving Chinese manufacturers an unfair advantage over European carmakers.Beijing retaliated by targeting European brandy. In 2024, it imposed provisional duties of up to 34.8%, just days after the EU\u00a0imposed\u00a0tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese EVs.China later confirmed its measures but exempted major Cognac producers that agreed to sell above undisclosed minimum prices. By then, however, the damage had been done, according to the industry.\u201cOnce the Chinese government singled us out and associated us with an anti-Chinese European and French policy, consumers started to distance themselves,\u201d Delpech added. \u201cThe distributors stopped buying our bottles and stopped putting our products on their shelves.\u201dThen came another blow, this time from the US, which accounts for around half of Cognac exports.During Donald Trump&#8217;s first administration, the US had already imposed tariffs on French Cognac as part of the long-running Boeing-Airbus trade dispute. The duties were later suspended under President Joe Biden.But in April 2025, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on US trading partners. In July, the EU and US reached a deal at Turnberry, Scotland, setting a 15% tariff on most European exports to the US, including Cognac.Turnberry talks stallThe European wine and spirits industry has since lobbied hard for carve-outs from the 15% tariff.But uncertainty continues to weigh on the US market, where inflation has also pushed up prices. Trump has repeatedly threatened much higher tariffs on French wines and spirits as part of wider political disputes.\u201cIt created an extremely anxiety-inducing environment for all our importers in the US, who, just as in China, eventually came to the conclusion that it was better to bet on something safer than Cognac,\u201d Delpech said.After EU lawmakers agreed in July 2026 to remove the bloc&#8217;s remaining tariffs on US goods covered by the Turnberry agreement, Washington agreed to reopen discussions on possible exemptions from the 15% tariff. So far, however, there has been little sign of progress for Cognac.\u201cI get the impression that not much is moving forward,\u201d French MEP Eric Sargiacomo (S&amp;D), deputy chair of the European Parliament\u2019s intergroup on wines and spirits, told Euronews. \u201cThe only ones who have managed to make clear progress on this issue are the British.\u201dThe UK secured the removal of US tariffs on whisky in May, while Irish whiskey received similar treatment in mid-September. French Cognac, however, remains subject to the tariff.\u201cFor us, the recovery will only come through the US market. That\u2019s obvious. China will come eventually, but it will be more complicated,\u201d Delpech said.The sector has written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and held talks with the Commission&#8217;s trade and agriculture departments.\u201cEverybody knows us in Brussels,\u201d Delpech said.French President Emmanuel Macron also visited the region several times, and promised winegrowers they would be entitled to compensation. So far, however, none has arrived.Cognac, &#8216;a textbook case for Europe&#8217;Delpech argues that the Cognac crisis raises a broader question about how the EU protects sectors hurt by retaliation against European trade measures.\u201cThe European policy cannot be strong if it does not protect the industries that bear the brunt of these trade-offs,\u201d he added. \u201cSo, when it is deliberately decided that in order to protect the EU automotive industry, Cognac will suffer by losing markets and being subject to sanctions from China, there needs to be a solidarity mechanism.\u201dTo adapt to lower demand, the industry has launched two vine-grubbing schemes backed by financial support.The first offers growers support to remove vines permanently, but take-up has been limited. Applications cover just 560 hectares out of the 96,000 hectares within the Cognac appellation.\u201cA vineyard is a means of production,\u201d Augier said. \u201cWhen you plant a vineyard, you\u2019re planting it for at least 40 to 50 years. It\u2019s a form of heritage.\u201d The winegrower, who is only 40 years old, might instead choose the second type of vine-grubbing offered for some of its vines, which is temporary: he will not be able to replant them for five years, but he will keep his vineyard.The slump is weighing on the wider regional economy. Cognac supports around 70,000 direct and indirect jobs in France. Alongside some 260 trading houses that age and sell the spirit, the industry sustains barrel and cask makers, still manufacturers, transport companies and agricultural contractors.\u201cCognac is a textbook case for Europe,\u201d Sargiacomo said. \u201cI understand why other agricultural sectors are now questioning Europe\u2019s ability to come to their aid if they were to face difficulties as a result of free-trade agreements, anti-dumping measures, or tariffs imposed from outside.\u201d<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/09\/27\/cognac-pays-the-price-for-europes-trade-wars&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/61\/50\/1200x675_cmsv2_a9cb48a1-108a-548c-b41c-d8c953930cdb-9926150.jpg&#8221;] No Comment Watch: mass Madrid protests over Maricarmen eviction and housing crisis No Comment Northern Ireland: 2,000 protesters block disputed Portadown march Europe News S\u00e1nchez vows housing decree amid outrage over Maricarmen eviction Europe News How neutral should Switzerland be? Voters deliver decisive verdict No Comment Watch: mass Madrid protests over Maricarmen [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2166869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2166869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166869\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2166869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2166869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2166869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}