French Champagne-makers wonder: Is it time to move on from the U.S. market?

Champagne barrels enactment the deep, chill cellars of Charles Fourny's property successful Vertus, France. Fourny says President Trump's impending tariffs has taken distant his spot successful the U.S. market. Rebecca Rosman for NPR hide caption

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Rebecca Rosman for NPR

VERTUS, France — Walking done his family's vineyard, fifth-generation Champagne-maker Charles Fourny runs his manus implicit Chardonnay vines planted by his gramps much than 70 years ago. For decades, Fourny says his business has relied connected a captious market: the United States.

In 2024, American consumers imported 26.9 cardinal bottles of Champagne, making the U.S. the world's largest Champagne export market.

Shipments to the U.S. accounted for 18% of Fourny's exports past year. But now, he's questioning whether helium tin proceed to beryllium connected the U.S.

Even with President Trump's 90-day intermission connected tariffs, uncertainty astir aboriginal commercialized policies has shaken the long-standing narration betwixt French Champagne producers and American buyers.

For Fourny, it's not conscionable astir the bottommost line. It's astir a spot that feels progressively fragile.

"We bash not spot the [U.S.], due to the fact that we don't cognize what volition happen," Fourny says. "More and more, you person the content that you are enemies."

In caller months, the Trump administration's threats astir European vino tariffs person shifted repeatedly, making it astir intolerable for producers and importers to program ahead.

Charles Fourny says that portion exports to the U.S. person accounted for 18% of his concern successful caller years, helium is present looking to much "stable" markets, specified arsenic Brazil. Rebecca Rosman for NPR hide caption

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Rebecca Rosman for NPR

"We spoke astir 200%, past 20% ... possibly time it volition beryllium 6,000%!" Fourny jokes, shaking his head.

In March, President Trump floated the thought of slapping tariffs arsenic precocious arsenic 200% connected European vino imports. A fewer weeks later, connected April 2, helium scaled that connection backmost to a 20% tariff. Then connected April 9, the White House announced a 90-day reprieve, temporarily lowering tariffs connected EU vino to 10%.

But that intermission is lone temporary. After the 90-day period, tariffs could emergence again, perchance backmost to 20%, oregon adjacent higher.

For Fourny, this unpredictable situation means it's clip to look beyond the U.S. market, seeking stableness successful places similar Brazil.

"We cannot hold for a decision," Fourny says of the impending tariffs. "We person a institution to run, and we request to enactment successful bid to support our concern moving."

A fragile ecosystem

The United States has agelong been the largest importer of Champagne, helping thrust the industry's growth.

But connected the different broadside of the Atlantic, American vino importers accidental they're feeling the squeeze, too.

"It's conscionable a horrific benignant of self-inflicted coiled connected American companies," says Harmon Skurnik, a New York-based importer and committee subordinate of the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance.

In a worst-case scenario, helium says, wines from overseas could go much costly and harder to find connected U.S. shelves. And homegrown American wines can't simply capable successful the gap.

"We can't bargain arsenic overmuch American wine, not to notation the information that these products are conscionable not arsenic fungible," Skurnik says. "The French person a word called terroir, meaning the vino reflects the spot it comes from. A French Chardonnay doesn't sensation thing similar an American Chardonnay. These products are unique."

American winemakers, particularly those successful California, are disquieted arsenic well. They fearfulness that strained distributors, weighed down by the uncertainty astir tariffs, could person little quality to bargain and merchantability home wine, threatening their short-term stability.

Vines turn astatine Charles Fourny's property successful Vertus, France. According to Harmon Skurnik, an American vino importer, the region's unsocial terroir, which includes factors specified arsenic soil, makes its wines irreplaceable. Rebecca Rosman for NPR hide caption

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Rebecca Rosman for NPR

Not everyone is mourning the shift.

In the bosom of Épernay, the Champagne region's capital, a radical of American tourists who came to sip bubbly were speedy to dependable enactment for the tariffs.

"We're tariffing a luxury item," says Justin Fishman, a 29-year-old from Kansas City, Kan.

"Champagne is not thing everybody needs connected a regular basis."

Fishman's person Joseph Psyck, who is from Kentucky, agrees.

Though his ain portion of prime isn't precisely affected by tariffs.

"I'm gonna portion what I privation astatine home, nary substance what," helium says, laughing. "Bourbon."

Back astatine Fourny's property successful Vertus, helium offers a bittersweet toast.

Fourny says helium wishes Trump realized that each this is much than conscionable astir champagne.

"When you bash that with a country, it's not concern … it's a semipermanent narration with people," helium says.

And erstwhile that's uncorked, it whitethorn not beryllium truthful casual to vessel it backmost up again.