Australian wine exports to China surged dramatically in April, following the removal of tariffs. The exports saw a staggering increase of over 675% in volume and an astronomical 8300% in value, significantly boosting China’s overall wine imports.
Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that in April, China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) imported 210 million liters of wine, marking a 19.14% year-on-year increase. The import value soared to $113 million, reflecting growths of 44.64% month-on-month and 44.72% year-on-year.
A detailed analysis of bottled wine imports by country revealed growth across most nations, with declines only in volumes and values from Spain and New Zealand. Australia’s resurgence, following the late March tariff removal, positioned it as China’s third-largest wine supplier in April by value. Australia’s import value reached $10.44 million, an 8189% increase from the previous year, with a 657% increase in volume.
Despite these impressive figures, Australian wine volumes remained lower than those from France, Chile, Italy, and Spain, indicating a significant influx of high-value Australian wines into the Chinese market. French wine imports grew modestly in volume by 0.18% but saw a substantial value increase of 41.52%, suggesting a trend of high-value entries.
From January to April 2024, wine imports showed a positive trajectory, with total volumes and values increasing by 7.41% and 1.29%, respectively. The presence of Australian wines is expected to further strengthen the bottled wine category in the coming months.
Boxed wines emerged as the standout category, recording a 32.08% increase in volume and a 73.65% surge in value, the highest among all categories, due to significant imports in the first quarter.
While France remained the leading source of bottled wine imports, both its volume and value experienced year-on-year declines. Chile closely matched France’s import volume. Despite a recovery in April, the significant drop in French imports from January to March could not be fully offset.
Australia exhibited the fastest growth among all sources, with a 648.82% increase in volume and a 5310.38% surge in value in the first four months, largely due to the cessation of anti-dumping measures against its wines.
Amidst Australia’s rise, Chile demonstrated resilience, maintaining growth thanks to its strong reputation in China for both major brands and boutique offerings.
Reflecting on the performance of the top ten wine source countries from the previous year, only a few showed growth. This year, apart from Spain, Germany, and South Africa, which saw declines in both volume and value, all other countries indicated overall recovery.
In the sparkling wine segment, France led in import value, primarily due to high-priced Champagne, while Italy led in volume, mainly through Prosecco imports. Australian sparkling wines also saw growth, hinting at renewed interest from Chinese importers.
In the specific category of wines in containers of 2 to 10 liters, primarily boxed wines, Australia’s import value outpaced that of the United States, although the U.S. maintained a volume four times that of Australia. Other origins showed negligible volume and value, except for Brazil, which despite having no data from the previous year, entered the top ten in value from January to March this year.
In the bulk wine sector, Chile maintained its lead, but Australia showed significant growth. The renewed interest in Australian bulk wines reflects the market’s adaptation to the reopening of trade routes, while Spain’s competitiveness continues to decline.
