Since the announcement by the US government on August 1st that it would impose a 30% tariff on EU goods,
Uncertainty has enveloped various sectors across Europe. Among them, the agricultural processing industry, which is closely linked to seasonality, has now entered its peak production season. Faced with the potential of high tariffs,
workers are worried about the possible obstruction of their products.
July marks the harvest season in northern Greece’s peach orchards. Pickers climb up wooden ladders, carefully placing peaches into cardboard boxes, and then transporting them to factories for peeling, cutting, and canning, eventually selling them to countries like the United States. According to statistics, Greece is one of the world’s largest exporters of canned peaches. The annual total value of Greek exports of canned peaches and other packaged peach products exceeds 600 million euros, with about 120 million euros coming from the American market alone.
The chairman of the Greek Canning Association, Apostolou, stated that for local residents, the peach industry is an important source of income, and the United States is one of the main export markets for local peach products.
Local farmer Kalendros:
The situation is already not optimistic. The price of peaches has been stagnant for 20 years, and there is no sign of any increase. When our farmers heard Trump’s new tariff policies, we realized that the future was going to be even darker.
Apostolou:
Since the Trump administration took office in the United States, we have been in an absolute turmoil over the past few months.
European winemakers are also facing similar difficulties. The Zerbach family has long been growing grapes and brewing wine in the western part of Germany’s Thuringia region. Despite having a long history of brewing and brand heritage, Johnnes Zerbach still worries that
the US government’s imposition of a 30% tariff could kill off the European wine industry
Winemaker Johnnes Zerbach:
For us, a 30% tariff will kill the market because of the uniqueness of the US distribution system, which is known as the so-called three-tier system. Alcoholic beverages can only be sold through this system, and US retailers need to make money at each level, which makes us very nervous. However, we are trying to remain calm and composed. We hope that our representatives in Brussels, of course, as well as in Berlin, will not ignore our demands.
Trump’s tariff policies impact the global economy