Between customs taxes and specific regulations, how to export serenely to the United States? Checklist of essentials that require good support.
Since 18 October 2019, shipping to the USA has become complex. Customs duties of up to 25% on European wines have been imposed by the United States. A tax extended since January 12, 2021 which has undermined the export market to the United States (read our post “Exporting wines to the USA: what the Trump tax changes for French winegrowers” ).
At the beginning of March 2021, these American customs duties were suspended for four months. A relief for the French wine market, which estimates its losses at more than 400 million euros in 2020. Although the effective date of this suspension has not yet been made official, this news gives hope for a potential end to the wine trade war between Europe and the United States.
Why is it complex to export wine to the United States?
The history of alcohol consumption and distribution in the United States reflects a complex and ambiguous relationship with alcohol. Since Prohibition in the 1920s, states have repeatedly sought to curtail the issue by regulating and controlling the alcohol industry, and collecting taxes on alcoholic products.
Since 1933, each state has been left free to decide when and how it controls the production and distribution of alcohol within its territory. A differentiated organization that generates variations and exceptions that are sometimes difficult to follow.
Since 1935, a "Three-Tier System" has required any alcoholic beverage to pass through :
- an importer
- a distributor
- and a retailer
before being sold to the final consumer. If you want to ship wines to the USA, you need to be clear about the regulatory requirements of each of the parties involved.
How to calmly export your wine to the United States?
Various documents are required to ship wines to the USA. It must comply with the regulations imposed by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau).
Vignoblexport can help you with these formalities so that you can export with peace of mind.
We accompany you for all the administrative procedures:
- FDA registration
- Customs formalities: COLA, COLA Waiver, Prior Notice
- We take care of the compliance of your labels : translation, formatting, printing
SENDING YOUR WINE TO THE UNITED STATES: WHAT OBLIGATIONS?
Download via your Vignoblexport
extranet or
contact us:
- Our "United States" country fact sheet with all the information you need for a smooth shipment.
- Our “Exporting to the United States” checklist so that you don’t forget anything during your shipment.
