New Zealand’s wine industry faces a nervous wait to see if US President Donald Trump decides to impose tariffs.
Vineyards up and down the country were currently preparing for the busiest time of the year — the grape harvest.
In Marlborough, the 2025 vintage was not the only thing front of mind for wine growers.
“It’s a concern we could do without,” Whitehaven Wines chief executive Steve Ross told Q+A.
Trump has postponed proposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and imposed tariffs on China. During his previous administration, tariffs were applied to steel produced in New Zealand.
Whitehaven Wines chief executive Steve Ross told Q+A almost 90% of their wine went to the United States. (Source: Q and A)
The tariffs announced by Trump this year were accompanied by political rhetoric, meaning tariffs could be applied in an unpredictable manner to other countries.
“There’s a lot of talk about it here but the general theme is no-one really knows,” said Ross.
New Zealand’s wine industry was worth $800 million in exports, and the United States was New Zealand’s biggest customer, accounting for 40% of exported wine.
Whitehaven Wines was particularly dependent on that market with almost 90% of their wine going to the United States.
In the States, Whitehaven’s Sauvignon Blanc was the most popular New Zealand wine in the higher priced category. New Zealand white wines sell particularly well in Texas and Florida.
Cloudy Bay wines were also popular in the southern states. Vineyard spokesperson Kat Mason said they’re keeping a keen eye on what’s happening with the new US administration.
“We just hope our government can work with theirs,” she said.
Philip Gregan, who heads the industry group New Zealand Winegrowers, said his organisation was talking to government officials about the tariffs and getting ongoing reports from them.
He said there were positives for exporters with the weakened New Zealand dollar against the greenback, and a surprise surge of New Zealand wine sales in the UK late last year.
“In the six weeks to Boxing Day, New Zealand white wine out-sold European wine including French wine so that was a huge achievement.”
While New Zealand sits outside the United States’ biggest trading partners, the New Zealand wine industry’s dependence on their American customers, means an anxious wait over the coming weeks.
Q+A with Jack Tame is funded by NZ on Air
