NEWS
SPIRITSEUROPE: EU SPIRITS EXPORT DECLINED 6% IN 2025 AMID GEOPOLITICAL HEADWINDS
By Staff Reporter
18-9-2026
Credit: Rick Barret/Unsplash
European Union spirits exports declined by 6 percent in value to €8.26 billion (USD9.6 billion) in 2025, according to the latest A Spirit of Determination trade report released by SpiritsEurope, the European spirits industry association.
While the sector remained 30 percent higher than its 2015 level, global geopolitical friction, tariff changes and macro‑economic uncertainty weighed heavily on shipments across key overseas markets.
The EU’s three largest spirits markets — the United States, the United Kingdom and China — all recorded year‑on‑year declines in 2025.
The United States, the top destination for EU spirits, saw exports drop 9 percent to €2.58 billion. New US tariff arrangements introduced in 2025 created ongoing uncertainty for European producers, who have long enjoyed favourable trans‑atlantic trade terms.
Industry representatives have repeatedly called for a specific tariff exemption for spirits under the new trade framework.
Shipments to China, the third biggest market, fell by 15 percent to €608 million. The contraction was partly driven by definitive anti‑dumping duties on EU brandy implemented in July 2025, which hit cognac producers particularly hard, even as some major brands secured minimum price commitments to mitigate impact.
Despite the 2025 fall, EU spirits sales to China have grown 74 perent over the past decade. Exports to the UK, the second largest market, slipped 4 percent to €858 million.
Across Southeast Asia, mixed results emerged. Thailand recorded a 6 percent fall, while Malaysia declined sharply by 34 percent.
SpiritsEurope highlighted ASEAN as a region with long‑term potential, even as short‑term performance softened.
Against this backdrop, several emerging markets delivered positive growth. Exports to India rose 10 percent to €91 million, supported by EU‑India trade agreements, while sales to South Africa jumped 30 percent to €272 million.
The association noted these fast growing markets cannot immediately offset losses from traditional large volume destinations.
Pauline Bastidon, trade policy expert at SpiritsEurope, described 2025 as a challenging operating year for European spirits producers.
“Geopolitical tensions and shifting trade rules are creating real pressure on our export business,” she commented. “Our priority is to secure fair market access, particularly for spirits in the US, while continuing to diversify into high‑potential emerging markets.”
The EU spirits sector accounts for roughly 3 percent of total EU agri‑food exports, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs across Europe.
Looking ahead, industry observers expect continued volatility in global trade flows, with producers prioritising market diversification to reduce reliance on a small number of large markets.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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