What Tariffs Could Mean For Your Favorite French Products
May 14, 2025
Tariff this, tariff that—you’re probably already tired of hearing about the potential effects of President Trump’s proposed tariffs, but you may still be wondering how they could affect imports of your favorite French products.
Last month, Trump announced a general 20% tariff on European goods, which was quickly followed by a second announcement of a 90-day pause on said tariffs. Many are still waiting to see whether or not they will go into effect as scheduled in early July. (If so, Americans could be celebrating their “independence” in more ways than one.)
France imports about €52.7 billion worth of goods from the U.S., compared to the €47 billion it exports to the U.S., the largest of which include aviation and spacecraft manufacturing, as well as gas turbines. However, the products that would have a larger impact on American consumers include wine and spirits (particularly Cognac), as well as perfumes and cosmetics. Now, a lot of these fall under the category of luxury goods, which made up €4.5 billion worth of French exports to the U.S. last year, alongside €2.4 billion worth of wine, and €1.5 billion worth of spirits. Your average Joe might not care about markups on an expensive eau de toilette or crème main, but French wine fans will take a bigger hit.
French winemakers have been nursing an ongoing panic following Trump’s statement in March that he would put a 200% tariff on European wine imports, which he quickly amended to 20% in April. If this were to go into effect, many French winemakers might withdraw from the U.S. market altogether, making it more difficult—and certainly more expensive—to find quality French wines in America. In a notable example, the U.S. is the largest export market for Champagne, which is already out of budget for most Americans. Champagne producers withdrawing from the market would create scarcity that could drive prices of bubbly up even higher than the 20% inflicted by tariffs. This could, in turn, encourage wine distributors in the U.S. to be more cautious with their purchases, which would actually have an adverse effect on American winemakers, and make wine harder to find regardless of its origins.
Tragically, a variety of other French products, from delicious cheeses to cult favorite French pharmacy products, would see price hikes. However, you may be surprised to learn that a lot of beloved French brands have U.S. manufacturing sites, from La Roche-Posay to Bonne Maman. Even some French luxury brands, like LVMH, also manufacture goods within the U.S. So not everything French will be affected, but a lot of it will.
In the meantime, we’ve put together a handy guide of where to buy French and French-inspired food products (many of which are made in the U.S.), so you can scout out some replacements for your faves should they end up in tariff purgatory. We’ve also updated our guide to which French food products you can bring back with you through U.S. Customs. With the way things are going, you’ll definitely want to bring an extra suitcase on your next trip.
New Yorkers Can Win a Free Flight to Paris…
Manhattan’s Le Rivage, a Theater Row stalwart, will be running a very special promotion next week. Anyone who orders their lauded French Onion Soup Burger between May 26-30 will have the chance to win a one-way ticket from New York to Paris. Perfect for those who have decided they’d rather avoid potential tariffs altogether and get their French products straight from the marché. Make your reservation here—be sure to order the frog legs, and whatever you do, don’t skip dessert!
Beach Cleanup and Apéro in NYC…
On Sunday, May 18, Project: Ocean Rescue and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy will be hosting a beach cleanup in the Rockaways, followed by a sunset apéro on top of the Rockaway Hotel organized by the sustainable French wine brand Souleil (a Frenchly favorite). Enjoy great drinks and fantastic views, as well as a performance by the New York Brass Band. Register here for the beach cleanup, and here for the apéro.
