China’s New Zealand bottled-wine imports surge as average value falls
China imported 1.13 million liters of bottled wine from New Zealand in September, 127.5% more than in September 2025, while the shipment value increased by a slower 50.1%.
Volume outpaces value
A Yicai report published on Tuesday, October 27, and reproduced by Sina Finance said China imported 1.13 million liters of bottled wine from New Zealand in September. Volume rose 127.5% from September 2025, but import value increased by only 50.1%. The source does not explicitly identify the year of the main September reporting period.1
The 2 growth rates imply that average import value per liter declined by about 34% year on year. This is a calculation based on the reported changes in volume and value, not a direct customs figure. It may reflect pricing, a different product mix, or both.1
New Zealand ranked as China’s 3rd-largest source of bottled wine by value during the month. The report associated its position with stronger Chinese demand for white wine while the wider wine market remained weak.1
A smaller market with higher spending
Across all supplying countries and wine categories, China imported about 160 million liters from January through September, 5.3% less than in the corresponding year-earlier period. Total value nevertheless increased by 5.6% to about $1.17 billion. The source does not explicitly state the year of this 9-month period.1
Those totals cover China’s entire imported-wine market and are not cumulative figures for bilateral trade with New Zealand. They show overall volume contracting while spending rose, in contrast to September’s New Zealand bottled-wine figures, where volume advanced much faster than value.1
White wine gains ground
Industry speakers cited by Yicai described a shift in Chinese demand from red toward white wine in recent years. They linked it to more personal and casual drinking rather than traditional business banquets, as well as growth in instant retail, warehouse clubs and other modern grocery channels that support chilled white-wine sales.1
The change is relevant to New Zealand because its exports are closely associated with white varieties, particularly Sauvignon Blanc. Its gains may therefore reflect changing preferences rather than a recovery across China’s wine market.1
Some merchants had already reported lower procurement prices for imported white wines from countries including New Zealand and Germany. Lower average import value can broaden market access and stimulate sales, but it may also indicate stronger price competition and pressure on supply-chain margins.1
Similar gains for Germany, with important caveats
Germany also recorded growth in China’s wine imports during August and September, according to the report. In September, imports from Germany increased by 59.9% in volume and 49% in value, again leaving volume growth ahead of value growth.1
Yicai placed these developments against difficult conditions for producers, citing declines in Bordeaux shipment volumes and export values as well as weakness in China’s domestic wine industry. Stronger white-wine imports were presented as one of the few visible growth areas.1
The figures require caution because the underlying primary customs table was not included in the reviewed material. Imports also do not necessarily equal final consumer sales, and average import value is not a retail price. Changes per liter may result from shifts in brands, package sizes or market positioning, so the statistics alone cannot determine whether discounts, lower-priced products or a different mix drove the result.1
Sources
Written by the Dionysus editors from the sources above.
