The Italian Wine Union supports the agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries

The market situation for Italian wine does not induce optimism. Consumption both at home and above all abroad is slowing down and to the complex economic picture we can now add the threat of duties on what is the main outlet in value for Made in Italy wine: the United States. Under these conditions it is really out of place to close the door on possible developments such as the segment of alcohol-free or low-alcohol wines but above all such as the agreement with Mercosur (basically the South American market, ed.). This is the balance that was drawn this morning in Rome during the National Council of the Italian Wine Union;

"The announced US duties," commented the president of the Italian Wine Union, Lamberto Frescobaldi, "risk aggravating an already difficult situation if we do not diversify the market and above all if we pursue policies of trade closure. In this respect, therefore, if on the one hand the UIV welcomes the opening up on the subject of dealcoholised or dealcoholised wines ("a microchip that can open the doors to new target countries," added Frescobaldi) coming with the draft decree presented by the Minister for Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Francesco Lollobrigida, on the other hand it emphasises the need to avoid trade closures: "The Italian Wine Union," it was stressed, "firmly supports the agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries.

This important stance is in contrast to the concerns about the EU-Mercosur agreement that have been voiced especially in recent months by agricultural organisations (not only Italian but also French) calling for greater reciprocity and thus for South American producers to comply with constraints and standards (in terms of the environment or labour protection) similar to those to which European producers are subject.

According to the Italian Wine Union, the priority is instead not to let the negotiations die out. "Sixty per cent of Italian exports," explained Frescobaldi, "are concentrated on five markets, with the United States alone accounting for almost a quarter of our shipments: we cannot close ourselves off from markets - such as Brazil and Latin America - that could broaden our commercial horizons due to their cultural roots.

According to a focus by the Osservatorio Uiv, Italy would be the European supplier country most exposed in the event of new additional US duties. An analysis of imports in the first nine months of this year shows how the USA is now the "commercial crutch" of Italian sales (+4.4% in the period), with demand that has helped limit the drop in value of shipments to 11 top buyer countries to -1.5%. Net of the US market, the loss would in fact rise to -4.9%. Less traumatic was the effect on France, which would go from the current -7.3% to -8.5%.