Imports to the domestic market appear to be declining, as also indicated by customs data (-26%). "For our part, in addition to confirming a decline in exports to the domestic market, we are seeing an increase in sales in the duty-free channel, which obviously benefits from the exemption from duties," says Sandro Bottega, wine entrepreneur and head of the historic Bottega SpA company in Bibano (TV), one of Italy's leading Prosecco producers . "In general, I believe it's too early to despair or to draw conclusions and predict a catastrophic situation; the most likely hypothesis," continues Sandro Bottega, "is this: we hope the temporary decrease is due to the behavior of importers who, given the uncertainty of percentages and the market, wanted to sell off their stocks and waited a while before restocking them. Rumors tell us, however, that negotiations are not over, and we hope there will be good news in the future."
The owner of Bottega SpA tries to remain optimistic: "I believe it's right to read these data with justified concern, but also with the optimism of a company that must ensure every difficulty becomes a new opportunity. This isn't easy, but it's certainly a motivation. Therefore, we maintain a fundamental optimism, supported by the positive image of Italian wine and its excellent quality-price ratio, and for now we believe it's right to wait and see how events unfold. What we're noticing and what causes us most concern," continues Bottega, "is the general tendency of operators to pass on the increased costs due to tariffs to suppliers and consumers. Of course, this may happen initially and for a certain period, but it's obviously not sustainable in the long run. We must therefore work on promoting our wines in other markets and maintaining the high image of our wines in the United States so that consumers don't forget our product," concludes Sandro Bottega.
