HELP STOP 100% TARIFFS
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
European Tariffs Threaten the Entire American Wine Business
January 5, 2020
To All HART & CRU Clients and Wine Lovers,
I hope many of you have heard or read the reports outlining the impending tariffs that could be imposed on a vast array of products imported from the E.U. -- including wine. (Below I have included a list of articles that outline this issue.) A few things I want to note early on:
1: Your voice matters and will make a difference!
2: The tariffs are on a broad set of European-produced goods that will affect many sectors.
3: I do believe in balanced trade negotiations, but the products being targeted are in sectors that will most greatly impact small businesses and working-class families. These are all in retaliation for issues that arose with Airbus subsidies and out-sized taxation by France on technology companies, such as Facebook and Google. There is a vast disparity in scale between the large corporations in the cross hairs and the small businesses that will be hurt.
4: If you love food and wine, plus the lifestyle along with cooking and dining, this is an issue I'm asking you to respond to.
PLEASE VOICE UP!
We have until Jan 13th.
HERE IS HOW I AM ASKING YOU TO HELP
WE WILL TRY TO KEEP THIS EASY TWO WAYS TO HELP
PROTEST ONLINE - PETITION - SAVE AMERICAN WINE JOBS
The wine business supports millions of jobs in the United States. Servers, clerks, importers and distributor sales staff, warehouse workers, drivers, truckers, and port workers rely on the wine industry for all or a significant part of their income. PETITION GIVE A VOICE, using this link.
SEND AN ONLINE LETTER
To protest the tariffs, we urge you to write the United States Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, using this link. In the top right of the page, simply click the blue "Comment Now" button, and put your note in the window. And make sure to check the box to add your Contact Information at the bottom, since non-anonymous comments carry more weight.
WHY THIS MATTERS
These tariffs should not be glossed over as just another Trump administration trade battle. These tariffs will drastically affect American life, and attention is needed. I have spent 14 years working for and next to some of the most dedicated individuals who deeply care about their city, region and their customers. If these tariffs are approved, many of our businesses and lives will drastically change. Yes, we can buy wines from other regions, but it is far more complicated than that as this impacts key supplier relationships and will render useless the in-depth knowledge that industry employees have taken years to develop. It is not as easy as just finding another bottle and hitting "buy." These tariffs will first directly hit importers, and will then be passed on to every retailer and restaurant you love. The end result will make the products unreachable in pricepoint, not just to the everyday "Joe" but to the entire U.S. population as the price will be double or more than current. Some items will include: Wine, cheese, olive oil, olive products, yogurt, pork, coffee, liqueurs, whiskey, brandy, salt, knives, glassware, tableware, lobster, pasta, various clothing, bedding, tools. This is a very small portion of what could be affected.
Please take this to heart and realize how this will hit small business owners on our side of the Atlantic and the other. Many winemaking families that are dear to me are all scared of the impact this will have. If this is not reversed, it could quickly make Hart & Cru as we know it today no longer viable. Thank you for anything you can do.
- Kevin O. Hart, Founder Hart & Cru
OTHER ARTICLES WORTH READING ON THE TARIFFS.
