American Importers Stock Up on Prosecco

American importers have been stockpiling Italian bubbly Prosecco as a hedge against the possible impact of tariffs, the AP reports.

• US imports of Italian sparkling wine—90% of that Prosecco—surged by 41% in November, after President Trump's election, far exceeding consumer demand as importers filled the pipeline for future sales, according to the Union of Italian Wines trade association.
• Prosecco became the top-selling Italian wine in the United States last year, representing nearly 40% of all sales.

• Italian wines were not hit by tariffs during the first Trump presidency, and no tariffs have been announced to date against European partners. Still, Prosecco importers and distributors are taking precautionary measures to protect the market.
• Italy exports nearly one-quarter of its wine to the United States, leaving the sector more heavily exposed to possible tariffs than any other Italian export, according to the trade federation. Last year, Italy's wine exports to the US totaled $1.97 billion.
• One other factor in the higher deliveries may have been a threatened port strike in January, said Dina Opici, chairwoman of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. "That said, obviously taking into consideration that there could be impending tariffs as well, I think it probably gave people a higher comfort level in making that investment."

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