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International experts meet in Zaragoza to analyse the global wine trade and discuss the impact of US tariffs on European wine
CIHEAM > AGENDAS > International experts meet in Zaragoza to analyse the global wine trade and discuss the impact of US tariffs on European wine
  • Over 100 specialists have gathered in Zaragoza for the IV Conference of the European Association of Wine Economists (EuAWE) to address challenges currently faced by the international wine production sector.

  • Raúl Compés, director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, was re-elected vice-president of the EuAWE during the event.
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Zaragoza, 19 May 2025.- The fourth annual conference of the European Association of Wine Economists (EuAWE), has brought together over a hundred specialists from the wine industry to analyse the global challenges and opportunities of the sector.

The official inauguration of the conference took place on Thursday 15 May, followed by a plenary session in which experts Kym Anderson, executive director of the Wine Economics Research Centre of the University of Adelaide (Australia), and Rafael del Rey, international wine market consultant, addressed topics of interest for the sector.

Anderson analysed the impact of the US tariff wars on the international wine and spirits trade: "The world economy will be affected because the tariffs are being imposed on all countries, not just the EU. This will have an impact on consumers’ willingness to pay and investors’ willingness to invest and therefore the global economy will grow more slowly. He added “We know that alcoholic beverages in particular are affected when consumer expenditure falls".

Del Rey focused his presentation on the recent developments observed in the international wine market, providing insights on trends, threats and opportunities for the sector. He paid special attention to the role of Spain in this global context.

The sessions of the conference on 15 and 16 May covered a wide range of topics of interest for professionals and academics. They included presentations of scientific papers on consumer behaviour, industrial organisation, policies and regulations affecting the wine sector, sustainability, agronomy, business management, marketing strategies and wine tourism.

In addition to the academic activities, the IV Conference of the EuAWE offered participants the opportunity to taste Aragonese wines, courtesy of the Designations of Origin of Calatayud, Campo de Borja, Cariñena, Somontano, Aylés and Urbezo. The tasting session was followed by technical visits on Saturday 17 May to Campo de Borja and Cariñena to see the unique characteristics of Aragonese winegrowing areas first-hand.

Raúl Compés, re-elected as vice-president of the European Association of Wine Economists

On Wednesday 14 May, members of the EuAWE held their general assembly, during which Raúl Compés, director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, was re-elected as vice-president together with the other board members who also renewed their mandates.

The European Association of Wine Economists was founded in 2020, bringing together academics, researchers and experts from across Europe to exchange knowledge and strengthen collaboration between actors in the wine value chain. This year’s edition of the conference was jointly organised by the Faculty of Business and Economics of the University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR), CIHEAM Zaragoza (Spanish headquarters of the International Centre of Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies) and the Agri-Food Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA).

The event also counted on the support of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA); the Department of Agriculture, Livestock of the Government of Aragon; Zaragoza City Council; Cajamar and Mercazaragoza.