Usagevpn.com – The grape harvest is ending in southwestern France with Cognac producers confronting a market crisis that reaches far beyond the Charente River. The region’s famous amber spirit is made only in this area, yet its fortunes depend overwhelmingly on buyers abroad. With China and the United States both becoming harder markets to serve, growers and major houses are dealing with sharply reduced sales, cancelled orders and uncertainty over tariffs.

Cognac has deep links to Europe’s political history. Jean Monnet, widely seen as one of the architects of European integration, was born into a Cognac-producing family and worked in its business. Three centuries after the drink first developed its international reputation, the industry is now feeling the consequences of trade disputes in which it has little direct involvement.…