2015 China imports: It’s France by three lengths, followed by Spain, Australia and Chile

China Customs stats for the first two months of 2015 show France in its typical position when it comes to bottled wine imports–far ahead of everyone else. France took 39 percent of the market by volume, roughly the same as Spain, Australia and Chile–the three countries bunched behind it–combined.

But value is a very different story. While France remains steady, with its 40 percent share in line with what it delivers in volume, the other three countries diverge. Chile, and especially Spain, have smaller market shares by value than by volume, while Australia presents the opposite case, with its 21 percent market share by value easily outstripping its 13 percent share by volume.

The chart below shows sources of imports of over 100,000 cases in the January-February period, with Argentina and Portugal just missing the cut. South Africa is the surprise of the year, with double the market share it usually takes–4 per cent rather than 2 per cent–and it will be interesting to see if that can be sustained.

(Hat tip to MDP)

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