PARIS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- French wine and spirits exports fell by about 8 percent in 2025 to approximately 14.3 billion euros (about 17 billion U.S. dollars), hampered by escalating geopolitical and trade tensions, France's Federation of Wine and Spirits Exporters (FEVS) said on Tuesday.

A woman visits the Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris in Paris, France, Feb. 13, 2023. (Photo: Xinhua)

In the United States, newly introduced tariffs and an unfavorable exchange rate weighed heavily on overall performance, with exports to the country plunging 21 percent, according to the FEVS.

The volume of French wines and spirits sold in the United States fell below 30 million cases, down 9 percent year-on-year, particularly due to precautionary stockpiling at the end of 2024 and economic uncertainties affecting consumer behavior.

Despite this drop, the sector remains the third-largest contributor to France's trade surplus, said Gabriel Picard, president of the FEVS.

"Geopolitical tensions, trade conflicts, exchange rate fluctuations, and also the loss of household confidence have weighed on our exports," the president added.

Picard believed the sector should benefit from new European Union (EU) trade deals with India and with the Mercosur bloc, where demand is expanding, but warned that 2026 could remain difficult without improved market access.

The United States is one of the largest markets for French wine and spirits, which have at times been the target of U.S. tariffs. In January, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 200 percent tariff on French wines and champagnes when asked about French President Emmanuel Macron's refusal to join the "Board of Peace" initiative he had proposed to rebuild Gaza.