US Raises Tariff on Chilean Wine, Grapes and Salmon to 12.5%

Selected Chilean exports face higher US tariff

The United States will apply a 12.5% tariff to part of its imports from Chile, up from the current 10%, according to Vinetur. Bottled wine, fresh grapes and salmon are among the products covered by the measure, exposing several of Chile’s established agrifood export industries to higher costs in the US market.

The details were released on Thursday, July 23. The increase amounts to 2.5 percentage points for the affected goods. Vinetur linked the US decision to a forced-labor levy reported in Chile, although the measure does not apply uniformly to all Chilean merchandise entering the United States.

The selective structure is important for assessing the wider commercial effect. Copper and lithium, two high-value mineral products in bilateral trade, remain outside the tariff. Exempt goods represent more than 50% of the value imported by the United States from Chile, according to Vinetur, limiting the measure’s impact on the total value of trade while concentrating the burden on exposed industries.

Wine import costs and margins come under pressure

For Chilean wineries, the increase raises the cost of placing bottled wine in the United States. The added charge may be absorbed at several points in the supply chain, including by wineries, importers and distributors, or passed through to buyers. Each option would affect margins, purchasing decisions or final prices.

The timing also matters because producers and buyers are planning shipments and negotiating commercial terms. A 2.5-percentage-point increase can alter the relative position of Chilean bottles against wines from other origins, particularly in price-sensitive segments. US importers may seek revised prices, change order volumes or adjust their product mix, while Chilean wineries must decide how much of the additional cost they can carry without weakening profitability.

The measure does not imply the same outcome for every producer. Suppliers with stronger brands or established distribution relationships may have more room to defend prices. Businesses competing primarily on price are likely to face tighter negotiations because even a limited increase in landed cost can influence purchasing decisions.

Fresh grapes and salmon also exposed

Fresh grapes face similar pressure because the product is sensitive to retail pricing and must move through the supply chain within a limited commercial window. Exporters, importers and retailers will need to determine how the higher tariff is divided. Attempts to preserve US shelf prices could shift more of the cost back toward Chilean suppliers.

Salmon is also included among the affected products. The higher duty may influence contract discussions and margins for Chilean exporters and their US customers, although the source material does not provide shipment volumes, trade values or estimates of the financial cost for any of the covered sectors.

Trade impact concentrated in agrifood sectors

The exemptions for copper and lithium protect more than half of the value of US imports from Chile from the increase. That distinction means the tariff is not a broad shock of equal scale across Chile’s export economy. Its effects will instead be concentrated among wine, fruit and salmon businesses with direct exposure to US buyers.

For these companies, the immediate task is commercial rather than macroeconomic: review landed costs, renegotiate terms and reassess planned shipments. The eventual effect on volumes and prices will depend on how wineries, growers, salmon producers, importers and distributors share the additional 2.5 percentage points and whether US buyers switch to competing origins.