Pictured Above: Sariya, with Damien Casten (left), owner of Candid Wines, our Distributor Partner in Illinois with winemaker Michael Malat (middle) of Austria.
WE HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT E.S.T. TO HELP STOP 100% US TARIFFS ON WINE FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION.
This is now a personal appeal:
My name is Sariya (rhymes with Maria). I am the owner of Circo Vino. We are an importer of family owned and operated estates in Europe. Thank you for the opportunity to share with you my concerns about the pending US Tariffs of 100% on wines and goods from the European Union (EU). Circo Vino, my company, is a sole-proprietorship and family run wine-importing company that has been in business for about 10 years. I am an immigrant of Thailand and naturalized citizen of the USA since 1983. I also am a mother, step-mother, sister, daughter, and wife. I employ 1099-contractors of several ethnicities and gender affiliations. As a business woman, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to build something from nothing but family support, passion, training, hard-work, and dreams.
By now, you have seen the information posted on our website, Facebook page, and Instagram regarding our opposition to US Tariffs on wines from the European Union as set out by the United States Trade Representative, #USTR-2019-0003-2518 and #USTR-2019-0009-0038.
The proposed 100% US Tariffs on wine, food, and goods from the European Union stands to irreparably damage the industry to which I have invested and dedicated my adult life. But the wine industry is not alone in its concern. All of America will be touched if a 100% tariff is imposed on goods such as olive oil, pasta, cheese, machine parts, and wine. The list of items to be tariffed is in the hundreds of products – many of which you purchase on a daily basis.
I ask you to consider a few things:
- US Tariffs are paid by American companies not companies in European countries. Unlike most other goods and services sold in the USA, wine is highly regulated, requiring essentially 2 of the 3 companies that sell any single bottle of wine from the EU to be an American company. Regulations require many American wine businesses to sell only wine and spirits, giving them no ability to spread losses from tariffs to other revenue streams.
- Wine Tariffs fall on Importers which creates ripple effects to wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, tourism, and hospitality. By US law, once these products enter the country they are controlled by US companies.
- US Tariffs on EU Goods are a bi-partisan matter that affects all US Citizens regardless of ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, education, or political opinions.
- There are more than 47,000 retail wine and spirits stores, and more than 6500+ importers and distributors, mostly small businesses. Together they have roughly 400,000 employees. The current 25% tariffs on wine will result in 12,000 American jobs be lost. Tariffs of 100% would result in an estimated 78,000 American jobs lost.
- The tariffs would cause unintended harm to domestic U.S. producers. As several U.S. producers have pointed out in their letters to the U.S.T.R., the tariffs would do severe damage to critical distribution outlets relied upon by some 80% of U.S. wine producers. American wine’s own export ability would also be hurt severely. The tariffs would see the Europeans strengthen their already strong market position in China, the most important market for export growth.
I am personally respectful of our United States Trade Representative doing its job to support fair trade for our country. However, the proposed tariffs are a disproportionate and misplaced measure that will damage the food and beverage businesses beyond possible recuperation. As Americans, choice is something that is important to us and these tariffs will, indeed, limit the affordable choices we have regarding everyday purchases such as pasta and cheese. They will go as far as to threaten the survival of your neighborhood Italian restaurant all the way to severely crippling companies like mine.
I ask you to take action to help yourselves and your fellow community members avoid a huge and senseless blow to our everyday lives and the joy of the shared community table.
BEFORE MIDNIGHT EST PLEASE VOICE YOUR OPINION TO THE USTR!
Please join the voices of dissent against these disproportional and misdirected tariffs that will punish small businesses like ours and increase the prices of wines that you love due to disputes regarding unrelated, gigantic, aerospace and technology companies. You can still make a difference by posting a dissenting comment at https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=USTR-2019-0009-0038. COMMENTS WILL BE CLOSED TODAY!!! PLEASE MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!!!
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTAL REPRESENTATIVES!
Christy Frank at Bending Elbows has created an easy to use and informative guide to help you get your voice out. Whether you are in the industry or a lover of wine please visit her blog right away to see how you can help:
WE BEG YOU TO PLEASE MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD TODAY!!!! IT IS NOW OR NEVER!