The arrival of Donald
Trump to the presidency of the United States has put the main sectors of the
world economy on alert, among them the wine sector, whose alliance of leading denominations of
origin led by Sherry, Champagne and Port see the progress achieved in
reinforcing protection of origin in the USA being endangered. Signatories of
the Declaration to Protect Wine Place Names and Origin, signed in the Napa
Valley in 2005 (see it here: http://origins.wine/declaration/)
are worried about the cooling of the free trade agreement known as TTIP between
Europe and the USA since the arrival of Donald Trump. There will be a further alliance
meeting at Vinexpo in Bordeaux in June.
The “post Trump strategy” took up a great deal
of the debate at the recent meeting of the great wines of the world, held in
Chianti in celebration of the tercentenary of Chianti Classico, and the
alliance now has the support of twenty denominations of origin and geographic
indications from all over the world. There will be a further alliance meeting
at Vinexpo in Bordeaux in June.According to César Saldaña, director of the
Consejo Regulador of Jerez the alliance is preparing a common strategy in an
attempt to stop the global impact of the protectionist policies of the new
president. He said that Trump’s arrival has confused the situation. One plan is
to form a lobby group to ensure that the free trade agreement isn’t allowed to
lose its teeth and that more attention is paid to European wines in the USA,
where there has been no progress since the signing of the Wine Accord back in
2005.
The meeting in Chianti (foto:diariodejerez) |
On that occasion the EU and the USA agreed to photograph
the fake wines on sale at the time in the American market. The Accord fell
short however; while no new brands were permitted, established ones could
continue. In the USA it is considered that the names Sherry, Champagne and Port
do not refer to their origin but to their production methods. It is expected
that at the forthcoming meeting in Bordeaux new members of the alliance will be
announced. Current members include Sherry, Port, Champagne, Burgundy and
Chablis, Bordeaux, Rioja, Madeira, Chianti, Tokaj, Western Australia, Victoria
and even a few from the USA: Long Island, Oregon, Paso Robles, Napa Valley,
Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Walla Walla, Washington State and Willamette Valley.
Meanwhile the EU has just voted to ratify a
trade deal with Canada, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Negotiations began in 2009 amid much controversy and once each EU member
parliament has agreed to it, it should take effect in a matter of months.
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