Reflections from ProWein 2025: Tariffs, Trade, and the Fraying of Brand America

It was great being back in Düsseldorf, Germany for ProWein this past week. It’s been far too long since I’ve been to Europe, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed these face-to-face connections until I was there — immersed in conversation with decades-old colleagues, discovering new friends, and finding a renewed sense of purpose.

This trip was different than many before. Most of my time was spent within the Messe — a sprawling complex that felt more like an aircraft carrier than an intimate tasting room. At ProWein, the varnish is off.  You’re surrounded by booths and banners, immediately into business — building rapport, pouring wines, sharing stories. And yet, even inside this industrial warren, I was energized, a part of something bigger than myself. I missed being in Europe. I reconnected with old friends and partners, met producers I’d only previously read about, and started conversations that I hope will lead me back to the vineyards, cellars, and quiet tasting rooms where the real magic happens — the very magic we work so hard to build brands around here in the States and abroad.

But amid the joy of reunion and discovery, there was also frustration — and a deeply shared sense of concern. Over four days, I spoke with close to 50 foreign wine professionals, 20 or so California-based producers, and a handful of journalists. Though their business cards spanned continents, their feedback was surprisingly aligned: the U.S.’s current tariff policy — and the combative negotiation style behind it — is leaving a lasting, damaging legacy. One we must now collectively address and reverse. Quickly.

Let’s be clear: tariffs hurt business and consumers alike. They undermine decades — even centuries — of painstaking relationship-building. When the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on European wines (among other goods) in 2019, in response to an unrelated Airbus-Boeing aircraft subsidy dispute, the impact was swift and severe.  Producers lost U.S. distribution overnight. Importers dropped entire portfolios. My own import company at the time shelved projects that were months, even years, in the works.  Business we never regained.  Retailers had to raise prices or walk away from beloved brands. Consumers paid more — or stopped buying altogether.

The numbers bear this out. According to the National Association of Wine Retailers, some U.S. importers saw European wine sales drop by 40% or more in the six months following the tariff’s implementation. Total imports of French wines into the U.S. fell by over $100 million in the first year alone. This isn’t just about economics. It’s about tearing down long-standing cultural and commercial bridges that connect the U.S. to the world.

Just as troubling is the erosion of Brand America. Many foreign producers and importers now view the U.S. as an unreliable partner — transactional, aggressive, and increasingly short-term in its thinking. And it’s not just in wine. From backing out of climate accords and trade pacts, to questioning NATO commitments, we’ve repeatedly signaled that loyalty and cooperation are negotiable. That message sticks. When trust is compromised, rebuilding it takes exponentially more time, and our partners abroad are already feeling the pain — and beginning to plan around us.

Yes, the U.S. remains the world’s largest economy. But let’s not delude ourselves about power dynamics. Economic dominance doesn’t mean invincibility. It doesn’t take the entire world to oppose us to do real damage — just a critical mass of key trading partners choosing to pivot elsewhere. And they are. China, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and intra-European trade continue to grow rapidly, offering real alternatives to U.S. partnerships. When America steps back, others step in.

From business school, I remember a foundational truth: being part of a cooperative group creates more value than going it alone. In trade, in diplomacy, in business — the pie gets bigger when we collaborate. Ironically, the one obsessed with holding the biggest slice often ends up shrinking the entire pie — and their slice with it. Greed doesn’t scale.

And in business life? Negotiations 101: You only screw someone over once. People don’t come back to the table if they don’t trust you. And word travels fast. If the U.S. continues to alienate its partners, we won’t just lose individual deals — we’ll lose entire markets. Loyalty is no longer guaranteed. If we keep pushing allies away, they will — and already are — finding other options.

So here’s the conclusion I walked away from Düsseldorf with: We are still in the game.  We all still have agency.  I’m not going to tell you what to do but start doing it now.  And a note, not a single person I met last week missed expressing their LOVE for America and Americans— or at least, what we used to stand for. So many of them studied here, worked harvests here, built businesses with American partners, and still count some of their closest friends as Americans. Hell, even the IDEA of America historically has inspired the world.  But they’re also realists. And when global consumers and trade partners speak, it’s clear: Brand America is losing.

Our partners may soon have no choice but to replace our goods, services, and leadership with more consistent, more willing, and more practical alternatives. We are losing our edge in trust, diplomacy, and global leadership — quickly.

It’s time to stop treating our partners like adversaries. To stop viewing every trade deal as a zero-sum win. And to start investing again in relationships, cooperation, and long-term strategy.

Because when we lead with fairness and respect, America remains the partner of choice, and Brand America thrives. But if we continue down this path of punitive tariffs, broken agreements, and performative negotiations, we may soon find ourselves standing alone at the global table — wondering why no one wants to sit with us, or share in our bounty.