Cork won a rare Trump tariff exemption thanks to lobbying on both sides of the Atlantic

By DEE-ANN DURBIN and BARRY HATTON

RIO FRIO, Portugal (AP) — U.S. winemakers have something to celebrate: the corks they’re popping aren’t subject to tariffs.

Cork comes from the spongy bark of the cork oak tree, which is primarily grown and harvested in the Mediterranean basin . The framework trade agreement between the United States and the European Union singled out the material as an “unavailable natural product.”

So as of Sept. 1, cork joined a handful of other items, including airplanes and generic pharmaceuticals, that are exempt from a 15% U.S. tariff on most EU products.

The cork carve-out was vital for Portugal . The European country is the world’s largest cork producer, accounting for about half of global production.

Portuguese diplomats lobbied for the exemption