Despite successfully containing the coronavirus spread within mainland China, China’s wine consumption has yet to bounce back to pre-covid level, with imports still sliding in both volume and value for the first seven months of the year.
The latest data released by Chinese research company ASKCI showed that wine imports from January to July dropped by 31.9% by volume to 269.2 million litres compared with the same period last year.
In value terms, wine imports fell for another 33.5% year on year to US$1.368 billion in the first seven months of the year.
Official data from Chinese customs or China Association of Imports and Exports of Wine & Spirits are not yet released.
Since June, things have largely returned to normal inside mainland China despite a few localized outbreaks. Wine imports in the country still recorded lackluster performance, affected largely by softening demand, delayed international logistics and outbreaks in main wine producing countries in Europe.
Previously, the trade expected the slowdown to lessen in last quarter of the year if Covid-19 was brought under control inside and outside of China, particularly in Europe where main producing countries like Italy, France and Spain are located.
China’s wine imports this year are expected to drop by at least 20%, as predicted by Alberto Fernandez, managing partner of a leading wine importer, Torres China.
