Wine Spectator: U.S. Faces $1B In Punitive Tariffs On Wine, Meat And More

U.S. wine industry members are urgently appealing to senators in Washington, D.C., to pass legislation to eliminate a threat to sales in their top export market. But they are running out of time.

If Congress fails to act, Canada will impose more than $1 billion in punitive tariffs after December 22, on a variety of American products, including wine. U.S. wineries send more than $500 million worth of table wine north of the border annually, according to the Canadian Vintners Association.

For more than 13 years, the Canadian and Mexican governments have cried foul over American “country of origin labeling” (COOL) rules for certain cuts of meat sold in the U.S., saying they violate NAFTA, and the World Trade Organization agrees. The only way to avoid the tariffs, the WTO has said, is to repeal COOL regulations. In June, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to do just that. But the bill has languished in the Senate. Wine Spectator has the full story.

Tagged : Canadian Vintners Association, World Trade Organization

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