Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 18 Mar. (Europa Press) –
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries for the Canary Islands government, Narvay Quintero, expressed on Tuesday that it will be “extremely challenging” to export Canarian wine to the United States if the “tariff” threats from President Donald Trump are realised. He remains hopeful that “common sense” will ultimately prevail.
In response to an inquiry from the nationalist group during a parliamentary committee meeting, he noted that the United States accounts for 32% of exports of isleño wine, equating to around 140,000 bottles annually. He warned that should those tariffs be implemented, costs could surge by nearly 200%.
Quintero did not disguise the fact that wine would be “the most significantly affected” sector if the new tariffs take effect, as Canarian winemakers have been excelling in recent years, exporting a “premium, gourmet” wine that commands a good price.
He highlighted that the United States is a market with “millions of residents” and that there remains room for “improvement”; however, he cautioned that overcoming the “challenges” posed by double insularity and ultraperipheral status would be “very delicate” for Canarian wine if the new tariffs are enforced.
Nevertheless, he emphasised the need to convey a “message of reassurance” to the winemakers, echoing the comments made on Monday by the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, during a sector conference, noting that US companies would also face declines in their exports, such as in the case of cereals.
“We are all adversely affected here; I believe that this policy benefits no one. While some form of tariff to rectify an issue can be considered normal, I think this excessive approach is unjustified,” he stated.
This is why the councillor hopes that “reason and sentiment” prevail, as it would be “a shame” for tariffs to impact Canarian wines, which have established a “very favourable” position in the US market.
Francisco Linares of the nationalist group warned of a potential “chaos” in global trade if the tariff threats from the United States and the EU come to fruition and noted that if tariffs are set at the “madness” level of 200%, it would signify “the beginning of the end.”
“No wine exporter can withstand 200% tariffs. When the previous 25% tariffs were imposed, exporters absorbed 10%, importers took on another 10%, and consumers felt a 5% increase, which collectively had a significant impact,” he explained.
Linares asserted that “someone must intervene” because this escalation in tariffs is not advantageous in “any respect,” given that bottles of Canarian wine are sold for 50 or 60 euros.
