Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 17, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Add as preferred source on GooglePernod Ricard's Q3 sales fell 3%, missing forecasts due to tariffs and production issues. The spirits sector faces uncertainty amid global trade tensions.
By Emma Rumney
LONDON (Reuters) -Pernod Ricard reported a 3% decline in third-quarter sales on Thursday, missing forecasts as tariff uncertainty rocks the already-struggling spirits sector.
Analysts had expected Pernod, the world's No. 2 Western spirits maker, which produces Jameson Irish whiskey and Mumm champagne, to report a 2% decline in organic net sales in the three months to end-March.
Pernod's sales were boosted by U.S. wholesalers ordering ahead of expected tariffs. But this was offset by other issues including a production interruption in India, the impact of tariffs on cognac sales in China, and a 31% decline in its travel retail division due to the suspension of duty-free sales of cognac in China.
CEO Alexandre Ricard told Reuters that had it not been for a technical problem at its bottling plant in India and the late timing of Easter - neither of which will be factors in the next quarter - Pernod's results would have been in line with expectations.
Analysts, however, said issues like the timing of Easter were well flagged, and foreign exchange changes could impact Pernod's earnings.
Pernod now needs solid sales growth in the fourth quarter to meet analysts' average expectations for annual sales, Edward Mundy, analyst at Jefferies said.
Shares in Pernod fell 1.5% in early trade.
U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to rewrite global trade relationships have meanwhile plunged the entire spirits sector into uncertainty.
The levies threaten consumer sentiment at a time when the appetite for pricey liquors is already under pressure amid high interest rates and inflation.
Ricard said Pernod had observed no change in underlying demand in the U.S., but it was unclear if that would change.
"It's difficult to predict in today's world," he said.
Pernod left its full-year guidance for a low single-digit decline in sales unchanged but warned the environment remains fluid.
It already cut its 2025 outlook as well as its growth forecast for 2027-2029. Pernod put the annual impact of tariffs at 200 million euros ($227.2 million) in February.
($1 = 0.8804 euros)
(Reporting by Emma Rumney; Editing by Gerry Doyle, Savio D'Souza, Jan Harvey and Joe Bavier)
The article discusses Pernod Ricard's sales decline in Q3 due to tariffs and production issues impacting the spirits sector.
Tariffs led to a decline in cognac sales in China and created uncertainty in the spirits sector, affecting Pernod's overall sales.
Pernod Ricard maintains a cautious outlook, expecting low single-digit sales decline for the year amid a fluid environment.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
