Australia makes big gains in China
Australian wine is going from strength to strength in China, according import figures for the Chinese wine market in 2016.
In 2016, a total of 482 million litres (642m bottles) of bottled wines were imported into China, with a value of 2 billion USD (3.42USD/bottle), according to fresh figures released by Chinese customs this week.
The number has increased by 22% in volume and 17% in value compared to 2015.
Australian wines: ‘Seize the finest hour’
Australian wines scored a 40% increase in volume and 23% increase in value in the year 2016.
China reduced the import tariffs on Australian wines to 8.4% in 2015, as part of a free trade agreement between the nations (ChAFTA).
Although the actual impact on costs was still ‘limited’, the agreement has ‘given great confidence’ to producers, importers and distributors, said several trade observers.
Australia, Spain and Chile followed, all on similar volumes.
However, their average prices differ sharply, from 1.97USD per litre for Spanish wine to 6.83USD per litre for Australian wine.
Top destinations
Shanghai remains as the number one port for imported wines in Mainland China, receiving 29% of bottled wines in 2016.
Guangzhou, with its proximity to Hong Kong, received 25% of bottled wines from abroad. Guangzhou also has the highest average price per bottle, at 7.60USD per litre, among the top 10 destinations for imported wine, custom figures showed.
Read more at source: Decanter
