Sourcing · Buyer guide

How do I import Italian drinks into the US?

Claudia Serra, Bellasource marketing · Updated November 2, 2026

Italian soft drinks and non-alcoholic aperitivi enter the US like food: FDA rules, a registered producer, notice before each shipment. Wine, spirits and beer add a second gate: a federal importer's permit, an approved label for every product, and the law of each state. In this guide: the two routes side by side, the steps in order, who you can sell to, and where tariffs change the numbers.

Is importing a soft drink different from importing wine?

Completely. A bottle of Italian soda and a bottle of Barolo may travel in the same container, but they answer to different agencies. The soda is food. The wine is alcohol, regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on top of the FDA.

	Non-alcoholic drinks	Wine, spirits, beer
Federal permit to import	Not required	Federal basic importer's permit (TTB)
Label approval before import	Not required, but FDA labeling rules apply	Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) for each product
Producer registered with FDA	Yes	Yes
Prior notice to FDA for each shipment	Yes	Yes
Foreign supplier verification (FSVP)	Yes, by the US importer	Generally exempt
Who you sell to	Any business buyer	In most states, a licensed distributor

Sources: TTB, 21 CFR 1.501, Hillebrand Gori.

What do I need before the first bottle of Italian wine ships?

A licensed importer, and a label approved before the goods arrive. According to TTB, the steps are these (TTB):

A Federal Basic Importer's Permit, which requires a staffed business office in the US. If you cannot meet that, you contract with an existing licensed importer.
Registration as an alcohol dealer with TTB.
A COLA for each unique product and label, which the importer must hold at the time of importation.
For wine, certification of natural wine; for certain wines and spirits, a certificate of age or origin.
A producer registered with the FDA, and prior notice to the FDA before each shipment.
Federal excise taxes and customs duties, collected by US Customs and Border Protection.
State and local requirements, which come on top of the federal ones.

Note who does the work: the importer, not the Italian producer. A winery cannot get your COLA for you. What it can do is give you the documents, label files and lab data fast.

Does the Italian producer have to do anything?

Yes: register its facility with the FDA. Foreign food facilities must also name a US agent, who confirms the role before FDA issues the registration (Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg). Registrations are renewed every even-numbered year, so 2026 is a renewal year.

This is where many small Italian producers stumble. Not because the rules are hard, but because nobody ever asked them. Before you commit to a new label, ask for its FDA registration. The other checks are in How do I know an Italian food supplier is reliable?.

Who can I sell to once it lands?

It depends on what is in the bottle. Non-alcoholic drinks can go to any business buyer: a distributor, a chain, a restaurant. Alcohol follows the three-tier system: importers sell to distributors, distributors sell to retailers and restaurants. Rules vary by state, and some states run their own distribution (Hillebrand Gori).

So an importer of Italian wine needs distributors in each state it wants to reach. That is the real bottleneck, far more than customs. Restaurants should read this side too: Where do restaurants buy authentic Italian ingredients?.

What about non-alcoholic aperitivi and Italian sodas?

They are the easiest Italian drinks to import, and the least crowded. They follow the food route: FDA rules, prior notice, and a foreign supplier verification program run by the US importer (FDA). The full food checklist is in What do I need to import Italian food into the US?, and who makes them in Italy is in Who makes non-alcoholic aperitivo in Italy?.

How do tariffs change the math?

More than the ex-cellar price. Since August 2025, EU wine and spirits pay a 15% US tariff. The EU-US agreement that entered into force on 1 July 2026 kept that rate until the end of 2029, and the wine and spirits sector is still asking for an exemption (Meininger's, July 2026). Federal excise tax comes on top. Check the current rate for your exact product before you quote a price.

So compare Italian suppliers on landed cost, not on the ex-cellar price. A cheaper bottle with a slow, incomplete set of documents is the most expensive one you can buy.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to import Italian wine into the US?

Yes, a Federal Basic Importer's Permit from TTB, plus state licenses. Without them, you work through an existing licensed importer.

Can I buy Italian craft spirits wholesale without being an importer?

Yes, from a US importer or distributor that already carries them. To bring in a new small producer, someone in the chain must hold the permit and the COLA.

What does an Italian beverage importer actually do?

Holds the permits, gets label approvals, pays duties and excise, and sells to distributors. For the difference between importers, brokers and sourcing services, see Do I need a broker to buy food from Italy?.

Do non-alcoholic drinks need a COLA?

No. The COLA is a TTB requirement for alcohol. Non-alcoholic drinks follow FDA food rules.

Are small Italian producers harder to import?

Often slower on paperwork, rarely impossible. See Should I buy from small Italian producers or big brands?.