Trump renews threat against French wine

File Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron tastes white wine as he visits the 55th International Agriculture Fair (Salon de l'Agriculture) at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, on February 24, 2018. [Photo: AFP/Stephane Mahe/POOL]

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at France for unfair tariffs on "great" American wine.

Trump, who famously does not drink alcohol, said he would work to open the European market, again accusing France of creating unfair trade barriers to U.S. wine exports.

"France charges us a lot for the wine and yet we charge them very little for French wine," Trump said on CNBC.

U.S. producers complain that French wines get to American shelves "for nothing," he said, adding "it's not fair and we'll do something about it."

"We have great wine, too."

Washington and Brussels are preparing to begin negotiations on a trade deal to resolve a battle Trump began last year by putting tariffs on steel and aluminum. But EU officials have said repeatedly they will not discuss agriculture.

In a Twitter outburst late last year, Trump likewise complained about wine trade.

European Union import duties on wine are higher than U.S. tariffs on European wines, including those from France, but EU consumers buy less of the American product. France is a major wine producer but as part of the 28-member block does not set its own trade policy or tariffs.

Depending on the type and alcohol content, imported wine faces U.S. duties of 5.3 cents to 12.7 cents a bottle, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. Sparkling wines are taxed a higher rate of about 14.9 cents a bottle.

But U.S. wines shipped to the EU face duties of 11 to 29 cents a bottle, according to the Wine Institute, a trade body promoting American exports.

File Photo: Wine is seen for sale in a store in Los Angeles on December 9, 2009. [Photo: AFO/Mark RALSTON]

Still, between 2007 and 2018, French customs figures show, U.S. exports to France tripled and Europe was by far the largest export destination for American wines.

In 2018, French exports of wine and spirits to the United States grew 4.6 percent to $3.6 billion (3.2 billion euros), according to industry data, making the United States the most valuable market for French exports.