Wine exports to China come roaring back

Wine exports to China, on which harsh duties were removed earlier this year, are back to near-peak levels, the federal government has announced. 

On Monday agriculture minister Murray Watt said that over 9.8 million litres of bottled wine was exported to China in May, valued at $142.2 million. Of this, nearly 7.4 million litres worth $125 million was from South Australia.

In March China removed heavy tariffs on Australian wine, which were in place since late-2020 and applied at rates as high as 218.4 per cent.

According to Watt, the new figures were nearly $50 million higher than the average monthly export value in 2019, and were the fourth-highest monthly figure for bottled wine since 2019.

Wine exports to China were worth $1.1 billion before restrictions began in 2019, and shrunk to under $1 million in 2023.

“We know the past few years have been incredibly tough for Australia’s wine sector,” said Watt.

“The successful return of our wine to this huge and influential part of the world will help mitigate some of those challenges and provide joy for the many consumers who enjoy our excellent wine.”

Watt credited the federal government’s efforts in stabilising relations with China.

Picture: credit Treasury Wine Estates

Further reading

Albanese welcomes China’s lifting of wine tariffs

Treasury Wine forecasts margin rise as China market reopens

China has finally removed crushing tariffs on Australian wine. But re-establishing ourselves in the market won’t be easy