Some California winemakers don’t want tariffs on their European competitors. Here’s why

Some California winemakers don’t want tariffs on their European competitors. Here’s why

Tariffs on European wine could be good or bad for California wine producers, depending on whom you ask.

CalMatters reports that some American winemakers, restaurateurs and others are urging President Donald Trump to exclude wine from tariffs on goods from Europe, saying European wines are important to the health of domestic wines.

But not all California wine producers are on board. They argue that European winemakers are already subsidized, so American companies having to bear tariffs on just about everything else — including imported corks, barrels and other supplies — puts wine producers in high-cost California at an even bigger disadvantage.

For some wine growers, “it’s certainly hard to hear” a