CANBERRA: Australia has seen a rise of 3.6 percent in volume and 3.9 percent in value of wine exports in the 12 months to end of March 2015 according to the latest Wine Export Approval Report March 2015, released by the Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA).
AGWA’s Chief Executive Officer Andreas Clark said anecdotal evidence of a renewed interest in Australian wines globally was now being reflected in export figures.
Some of the strongest growth is seen in the premium price segments and we’ll be continuing to champion Australia’s finest wines in our global marketing activities. While the above A$7.50 price segment accounts for just 5 percent of total export volume, the value share is considerably higher at 27 percent.
There are a number of factors that have contributed to the growth we’ve seen in the last 12 months. Certainly the depreciating dollar has an effect but we’re also reaping benefits from the commencement of the Japanese free trade agreement, a rebound in the Chinese market from their austerity measures and improved economic conditions in two of our biggest export markets, the US and the UK.
Complementing the export growth, we continue to receive a positive response in-market to Australia’s presence at key events including ProWein and Vancouver International Wine Festival where Australia was the host country.
Asia continues to be a key driver of growth with more than half of exports in the above A$7.50 per litre segment shipped to Asian markets (up 13 percent) with the average value of exports to Asia A$18.77 per litre. The biggest Asian market is still China but Japan has also seen strong growth as has emerging Asian markets such as Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines,” Clark said.
Total Australian wine export volume increased by 3.6 percent to 711 million litres and total value increased by 3.9 percent to A$1.85 billion. The average value of exports remained steady at A$2.60 per litre.
Over the last 12 months, Australian wine was exported to 123 destinations by 1,385 exporters with the majority (890 exporters) again recording volume growth. The increase in volume was aided to some degree by the depreciating Australian dollar and growth in major export markets including Europe, Asia and North America.
The number of Australian wine products exported hit a record high of 17,387, up 6.6 percent.
Most price points saw an increase in volume with the strongest growth in the above A$10 segment, up 12 percent to 18 million litres. The exception was the A$5.00-$7.49 per litre, where volumes fell by 4 percent to 37 million litres.
