France Presses US to Drop Wine, Champagne and Cognac Tariffs After Irish Whiskey Relief

France has renewed its demand in Dublin for US tariff exemptions on wine and spirits, including Champagne and cognac, arguing French products should get the same treatment as Irish whiskey after President Trump promised to lift its duties. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said the Commission would work 'very, very hard' on a deal covering all wines and spirits.

Awaaz Punjab Investigations Desk23 October 20263 min readRead in all 3 languages

DUBLIN — France is pressing the United States to remove tariffs on cognac and Champagne — and on wine and spirits more broadly — in the same way they are being lifted on Irish whiskey, French Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier said ahead of an informal meeting of European trade ministers in Dublin on Friday, The Irish Times reported.

Source: The Irish Times via Europe Says, Oct 23, 2026

During his visit to Ireland last month, US President Donald Trump made the surprise announcement that he would remove tariffs from Irish whiskey, The Irish Times reported. The removal has yet to come into effect: a spokesman for Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said "intensive engagement" with the US on technical implementation was ongoing and aimed to get it over the line "as soon as possible". The US tariff on Irish whiskey was as high as 15 per cent last year before being reduced to 10 per cent, the paper reported.

Source: The Irish Times via Europe Says, Oct 23, 2026

Forissier said the EU's tariff deal with the US, the Turnberry Agreement, fixed tariff limits and was "positive", but that "exemptions for certain sectors are necessary", citing wine and spirits, The Irish Times reported. "Each time I meet an American leader… I'm asking for it on behalf of France," he said, adding that he had recently made the same request to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. MLex reported the same renewed French demand on Friday, saying Forissier argued French products should receive the same treatment as Irish whiskey.

Source: MLex, Oct 23, 2026

"I noticed that the Irish whiskeys had been a concern and have no duties now," Forissier said, according to The Irish Times. "It should be the same for French cognac [and], I think, champagne." Trade relations with the US were on the agenda at Friday's Dublin meeting, held under Ireland's presidency of the Council of the European Union, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin raised the tariff issue with Trump in Dublin last month, the paper reported.

Source: The Irish Times via Europe Says, Oct 23, 2026

At the ministers' working lunch on Friday, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said the Commission would be "working very, very hard" on progressing a trade arrangement that applies to all spirits and all wines, Agence Europe reported. The bulletin said there had been no progress on steel derivatives, and that dialogue between the European Commission and US authorities was ongoing.

Source: Agence Europe, Oct 23, 2026

Sources

The Irish Times — French seek removal of champagne levies after Trump's Irish whiskey move, via Europe Says, Oct 23, 2026 — https://www.europesays.com/ie/748195/

MLex — France presses US for wine, Champagne tariff exemptions after Irish whiskey relief, Oct 23, 2026 — https://www.mlex.com/mlex/trade/articles/2541661/france-presses-us-for-wine-champagne-tariff-exemptions-after-irish-whiskey-relief

Agence Europe — From Dublin, EU trade ministers prepare for summit with Canada and continued dialogue with China, Oct 23, 2026 — https://agenceurope.eu/en/bulletin/article/13967/1/from-dublin-eu-trade-ministers-prepare-for-summit-with-canada-and-continued-dialogue-with-china