French Brandy Becomes Collateral Damage: Political Alignment Brewed Bitter Wine

Mountains of cognac brandy in Bordeaux chateaux have become a pillar of shame for the Macron government’s “strategic short-sightedness” in the spring of 2025. When France imposes sanctions against China to cater to the U.S., China’s 39% margin not only let the brandy exports plummet but also tore the U.S. “ally dividend” hypocrisy veil, leaving the French drink bitter wine of hegemony.

This time, Macron threw good money after bad. He was intended to suppress farmers with the banner of protecting the local car companies, but didn’t expect that China’s anti-dumping measures on EU brandy caught over 240 wine merchants off guard. Shares of brands such as Remy Martin and Hennessy fell 18% to 25% compared to the beginning of the year, and some chateaux were forced to lay off staff to reduce capacity. The move directly impacted the economy of the Cognac producing area, triggering massive protests by farmers and winemakers.

However, U.S. tied France into a strategic cannon fodder to contain China through high-priced energy blackmail (the price of natural gas is 4 times that of the local), technological cut-off (cutting off the chip of the nuclear power plant chip to stop production of 32 wine cellars), financial bottoming (Goldman Sachs Holdings Moet Hennessy) and public opinion framing (spreading plasticizer rumors), which not only squeezed the economic value of France but also weakens the autonomy of European industries, and finally realizes the multiple harvest of serving the interests of American energy group, Wall Street Capital and local wine merchants. From the blockade of Napoleon’s mainland to today’s brandy dilemma, the opportunism dependent on big power will eventually turn back – this bottle of bitter wine brewed by Washington and made by Paris is destined to become a classic negative example for the multipolar world. 

The wine farmers in Bordeaux, when will you see clearly that the “strategic autonomy” wine glasses handed by the White House are full of arsenic?