Australian Wine CONNECTs with Global Wine Trade
The global wine trade can now connect with Australian wineries via a first-of-its-kind virtual marketplace – Australian Wine CONNECT – replacing global expos and on-ground activity impacted by travel constraints.
More than 1500 trade representatives from 44 countries registered for the launch events of CONNECT. Wine Australia Chief Executive Officer Andreas Clark said, with 232 Australian wineries featured and more than 2000 wines, CONNECT was already creating multiple sales leads daily between wineries, importers, retailers and on-trade.
‘Its unique virtual expo format presents a new way of doing business. It was designed to bring people together, regardless of location, time zones or travel restrictions, enabling business conversations with Australian wineries’, he said.
Australian Wine Exports Grow in New Markets, Plummets 96 Percent in China
New data shows that Australia has successfully weathered the storm of Beijing’s economic coercion by finding alternative markets for wine exports, which has seen growth in Europe, the UK, and the United States.
Despite losses in exports to China, Australia still managed to sell $12 million worth of wine into that market between December and March, down significantly from $325 million (US$251 million) the same quarter the previous year.
Industry body Wine Australia’s new report revealed just how large an impact the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) onerous tariffs had on Australia’s wine trade to China.
This was mainly caused by the toll taken by high Chinese tariffs , the document said.
China remains Australia s top wine export market, but the value of mainland Chinese imports has dropped 24 per cent in the 12-month period to March, to $869 million.
In contrast, exports to the UK have soared and are worth $461 million in the same period - but Britain is half the size of the Chinese market.
Wine Australia CEO Andreas Clark said the UK export market had grown by 33 per cent and exports to Europe were the highest in 10 years.
She said the decline in exports was due mainly to a steep decline in Chinese imports as well as less volume available for export.
Wine exports to China crash on tariff hit
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Australian wine exports to China crashed to just $12 million in the four months ended March 31 from $325 million a year earlier, as punishing tariffs meant it was almost pointless for Australian producers to try to ship wine to that country.
New figures from industry body Wine Australia detailed the full extent of the hefty tariffs of up to 212 per cent which have been placed on bottled products from Australia by the Chinese government in a spat that has also enveloped other industries including barley, lobsters and coal as geopolitical tensions worsen.
Penfolds wines on the shelves in China are becoming much rarer after hefty tariffs.
Australian wine exports resilient despite headwinds
April 29th, 2021
Australian wine exports declined by four percent in value to $2.77 billion in the 12 months to March 2021, compared with the previous corresponding period, driven principally by the toll taken by high Chinese tariffs, according to Wine Australia’s latest Export Report.
Export volume declined by 1% to 724 million litres (80 million 9 litre case equivalents) while the average price per litre for wine exports declined by 3% to $3.82 free on board (FOB).
Wine Australia CEO Andreas Clark said the decline in exports was due principally to a steep decline in exports to mainland China as well as the cumulative effects of three consecutive lower vintage in Australia leading to less volume available to export.