The clock is ticking and the cognac industry is holding its breath. On April 5, China could decide to definitively impose import tariffs of 34% to 39% on the prized French brandy made in the Charente region – just as US President Donald Trump threatens a 200% tariff. To say that tensions are running high in Charente would be an understatement.

Once again, the interprofessional group has sounded the alarm, concerned that its voice is not being heard. In the short term, hopes rest on Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot's visit to Beijing on Thursday, March 27, and Friday, March 28. "Our shared objective is to find a swift resolution to this issue, allowing us to focus our energy and efforts on building partnerships and investments for the future," the French foreign minister said in Beijing on Thursday, addressing his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

"We would like him to ask for the application of customs duties to be postponed until July 5, and then for the prime minister [François Bayrou] to travel to China to settle the problem once and for all," said Florent Morillon, president of the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC, a decision-making body for the cognac industry).

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