On April 19, 2017, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that that the United States signed the Arrangement on Information Exchange, Technical Cooperation and Counterfeiting at a meeting of the World Wine Trade Group (WWTG) in Brussels, Belgium on April 13, 2017.
Founded in 1998, the WWTG is a group of government and industry representatives who work together to facilitate international trade in wine. Previous key WWTG initiatives include the Mutual Acceptance Agreement on Oenological Practices (2001), the Agreement on the Requirements for Wine Labeling (2007), the Memorandum of Understanding on Certification Requirements (2011), and the Protocol to the 2007 Agreement on the Requirements for Wine Labeling (2013).
In 2016, trade in wine and wine products between the United States and other WWTG countries totaled more than $1.9 billion. Countries participating in the WWTG include Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Georgia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
USTR states that the non-binding Arrangement will facilitate trade in wine by encouraging the exchange of information and cooperation on wine-related issues. Under the Arrangement, WWTG countries will coordinate action to curb the growth of wine counterfeiting around the world.
