After Friday’s threat of new 50% tariffs on all E.U. goods—and a subsequent delay which will halt the threatened levies until July 9—industry groups are urging renewed talks aimed at reducing tensions.

“We urge the U.S. and E.U. to continue negotiations to get distilled spirits back to zero-zero tariffs, which will benefit the U.S. hospitality sector and American distilleries,” said Chris Swonger, president and CEO of The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS). “The U.S.-E.U. spirits sector was the model for fair and reciprocal trade, having zero-for-zero tariffs from 1997 up until the E.U. imposed a 25 percent retaliatory tariff on American whiskey in 2018. Over the past three years that the E.U. tariffs have been suspended, American whiskey exports to the E.U. have soared, supporting jobs at U.S. distilleries as well as farms across the country.”

“A 50% tariff would essentially be a trade embargo on goods from the European Union, which would do irreparable harm to hundreds of thousands of businesses here in the United States,” added Ben Aneff, president of the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance (USWTA). “The United States imports roughly $15,000,000 in wine each day from the European Union, from which American businesses make $67,000,000. These products are essential for the health of businesses in every American city. A trade embargo of this nature would be a terrible self-inflicted wound, causing tremendous harm to the U.S., for little to no benefit.”—Daniel Marsteller