President Trump’s new tariffs start Friday, and European firms are rushing to adapt. Some are delaying shipments, others are raising prices, and a few warn that tighter profits could threaten their survival.
From small winery estates to major consumer-brand manufacturers, companies are preparing for an influx of expenses that impact alter how they do business with American partners.
Under the rules coming into force this week, Washington will impose a 15 % duty on the bulk of goods arriving from Europe. These fees are part of broader penalties to resolve old disputes.
Though lower than the 25% and 30% once proposed, this is still the biggest U.S. tariff on European goods in almost 100 years as per Reuters.
“Companies are waking up to the fact that we’re dealing with an historically higher tariff rate,” said Andrew Wilson, a vice chief at the International Chamber of Commerce. He emphasized that without a major downturn in the American economy, it is unlikely these tariffs will be rolled back.
The ICC has recorded a surge in postponed shipments and is observing corporations overhaul their distribution networks. “Trading with the United States is now hellishly more difficult,” he added, describing the new level of complexity as something “nobody could have imagined.”
Out in the Moselle Valley region of Germany, winemaker Johannes Selbach noted that the tariffs add expenses to exporters and importers alike. “We were hoping for zero-for-zero tariffs, but for now we all take a 15% hit,” he said, standing amid stacks of wooden wine crates marked “USA.”
Selbach cautioned that multitudes of families working in Europe’s vineyards, along with those engaged in U.S. distribution and hospitality, rely on this exchange. He warned that tighter margins could force employee cuts and shrink earnings from grape to glass.
Trump’s tariff impact will differ across industries
Premium brands have more leeway to transfer these surcharges onto wealthy buyers, while global corporations absorb some losses or shift portions of their manufacturing nearer to U.S. markets.
Household names like Procter & Gamble have hinted at raising stateside shelf prices before year-end, and Adidas has also suggested modest markups to offset the tariff costs.
Trump says these tariffs are needed to fix trade imbalances and revive U.S. manufacturing, believing they’ll bring jobs back by encouraging companies to produce at home.
However, relocation is not practical for products tied to single region. Champagne vines, for instance, only grow in their original terroir.
“This work is done here,” said Hugo Drappier. “We don’t have the option of relocating champagne vines.”
He said some U.S. orders are on hold because the tariff outlook is unclear, but he’s cautiously hopeful talks could win his industry an exemption, and he prefers 15% over the 30% that was once threatened.
Corania, a small family-operated fragrance house on the outskirts of Marseille, confronts comparable challenges. Laurent Cohen, the CEO, estimated that roughly 25 % of his revenue comes from the United States. With the tariff levels now defined, he is exploring new regions and crafting plans to preserve his presence in the U.S.
He conceded that profit margins are likely to shrink and that American consumers could face higher price tags. “I praise the fact that we are no longer in a state of uncertainty,” he said.
“But with 15% customs duty on our affordable perfumes, we will now have to show immense ingenuity to keep going in the U.S. market.”
Meanwhile, European futures suggest a weak start, with London’s FTSE 100 set to open about 0.2% down, France’s CAC 40 flat, Germany’s DAX off roughly 0.6%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB down 0.1%.
The Stoxx Europe 600 and Euro Stoxx 50 are each poised to open lower by 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively.
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