As President-elect Donald Trump vows sweeping tariffs on even America’s close partners once in office, US wine merchants and restaurateurs are watching with trepidation — and pushing for exclusions they say will protect small businesses.
“A lot of our concern is that he could flip the switch on EU tariffs. They were suspended, but not eliminated,” said chef DeWayne Schaaf, owner of Celebrations Restaurant in Missouri.
On the campaign trail, Trump threatened blanket tariffs of at least 10 percent on all imports, but the shadow of even higher levies from US-Europe disputes during his first term hangs over businesses.
Either scenario would likely thin their profits and force them to raise prices.
In 2019, Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on popular European food, drinks and other products as Washington and Brussels clashed over European Union subsidies to aircraft maker Airbus.
“We were absolutely shocked,” US Wine Trade Alliance president …