I never would have imagined that in my Wine Experiences pieces that I would relay a letter that I wrote to plea for the future viability of the US wine industry. The US trade wars have reached disturbing new lows that, if enacted, will deeply damage the US marketplace, currently the largest in the world. Here is the letter that I submitted to the United States Trade Representative today.

____________________________

The Honorable Robert Lighthizer
United States Trade Representative
Executive Office of the President
600 17th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20006

Re. Opposition to Tariffs on Imported European Union Wines
Docket USTR-2019-0003/USTR-2019-0009

Dear Ambassador Lighthizer,

I have a sole proprietor business and have successfully run my company independently for nine years. I am a Master of Wine - one of only 389 in the world (mastersofwine.org). I work with imported and domestic wines as a journalist, public speaker and wine critic, and over half of my business comes from work with European wines.

The tariffs already in effect and those under consideration for adoption this month propose a significant risk to my business and livelihood. These tariffs will pose some problems for the EU, its farmers and its citizens, but they pose existential risks to the thriving US wine trade. Washington, D.C. behaves as though the EU is cutting a check for President Trump to cash with these tariffs. Rather, it is the US wine industry and US wine consumers that largely will pay for these tariffs. Rather than punish successful large businesses responsible for the issues at hand, these measures punish US, small- to medium-sized company owners, workers and consumers involved with wine.

The proposed tariffs will reduce sales of European wines in the US as well as promotional efforts of European wines in the US. My business relies on both of these. Consumers who prefer European wines are not going to switch to US wines. They have little in common stylistically. Moreover, most US wines are far more expensive than most EU wines. Furthermore, this additional tariff action will undoubtedly provoke retribution toward US wines, which - at last - are beginning to be exported on a more frequent basis.

As a small wine business owner and a wine consumer, I find the evident lack of Washington's understanding of how individually and collectively US citizens involved in wine professionally and/or personally will suffer because of a dispute between giant corporations, like Boeing, Airbus and French Digital Services Companies utterly appalling and thoroughly shameful. Retaliatory tariffs should punish those who are responsible.

Sincerely,
Christy Canterbury MW
Brooklyn, NY