Duplin County winery on potential European alcohol tariff

KENANSVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - American-made alcohol may soon be the go-to drink for some after President Donald Trump threatened to hit European alcohol with a 200% tariff in a Truth Social Post.

And some are in support of the move.

“I think it’s just fine. I think we should just be buying American products anyway and selfishly enough, I’m a bourbon drinker and bourbon is only made in the United States, anyways, so it really doesn’t affect me,” said The Country Squire Winery customer Richard Stump.

The trade war began after President Trump imposed a universal 25% tariff on steel and aluminum on Wednesday.

The European Union responded with a 50% tariff on American spirits, which includes tariffs on $28 billion worth of US goods such as boats, bourbon, and agricultural products that are set to go into effect next month.

Iris Lennon owns the Country Squire Winery in Kenansville and voiced her concerns on the possible tariff.

“If imported goods are going to be a lot higher, then it should perhaps raise the sales of not only North Carolina but a lot of effects on wineries,” says Lennon.

Lennon reflected on the possible downsides businesses like hers could face.

“It could be positive or it can be negative. There could be other offsets and other increases could affect me in other ways with all the equipment and bottling and labels and everything wineries need,” Lennon says.

Lennon says the winery has been going strong for more than five decades and says if the tariff goes into effect or not they’re prepared.

“In just life and policies and regulations that every day you just don’t know what you’re going to be challenged with and you just pick up and handle it the best you can and go on another day,” she says.

France and Italy are the top two wine exporters to the United States, shipping a total of $4.8 billion of wine in 2024 according to the US commerce department.