A small cooperative of 1,200 feta -producing breeders in the southern Peloponnese had a big goal this year: a successful “landing” in the United States market.

The 2019 Greece managed to be excluded The US duties imposed on European products reminds Reuters.

However, President Donald Trump’s move on Wednesday imposing 10% duties on most of the products imported into the US has shadowed a shadow on farmers’ plans. The European Union, a close ally of the United States, did not escape, facing 20%countervailing duties.

“Which part of them (the duties) will go to the end consumer … PThe ” roulette ball ” will fall, it remains to be seen, ” Constantine Latsis, General Manager of the Cooperative, told Reuters through the coolant of his dairy with 6,000 barrels of beech where the feta matures in brine for at least two months.

The cooperative, one of the many feta producers, supplies the Greek market with about 5,000 tonnes a year from its factory in Kalavryta.

Greece has been producing the slice, a protected EU brand from 2022, for over 6,000 years.

Last year they were produced about 140,000 tonnes of feta worth 800 million euros. About 8% of exports arrived in the United States – the volume doubled in four years.

Greek dairyes exporting feta to the rapidly growing US market are expected that duties could reduce these exports of at least half.

“I’m afraid this time the slice will not find a way out From the duties, “said Christos Apostolopoulos, head of the Hellenic Milk Association. “We need to find a way to divert these quantities to other markets.”

Despite the new US duties, the Kalavryta Cooperative continues to believe in its expansion abroad. “We are optimistic that whatever happens – because this is a very big market – we will be able to slowly enter.”said Latsis.