Record leap for Prosecco PDO exports to China, with a +31% increase in volume this year. This is what emerges from an analysis of Coldiretti on the basis of ISTAT data for the first seven months of 2019, released on the occasion of the visit of the Chinese President XI Jinping to the Italian pavilion at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. The success of the best known Italian sparkling wine is the driving force behind the entire Italian wine sector, whose exports to China show an overall increase (+11%).
WINE IMPORTS IN CHINA
(Wines of fresh grapes, including wines fortified with alcohol, and grape must. Source: ICE – Italian Trade Agency China)
THE UNSTOPPABLE SUCCESS OF PROSECCO IN CHINA
This was also due to the collapse of US wine exports to China, as a result of the trade war between the two countries. Moreover, the increase in Prosecco PDO sales on the Chinese market is a sign of a shift to the East of world wine consumption. As a result of uninterrupted consumption growth, China is in fact one of the world’s five top consumer countries when it comes to wine. It comes already on the top of the list if we consider only red wines.
China is therefore a strategic market for Italy, with great potential for growth considering that sales of Italian wines are concentrated for more than 90% on Europe and North America at the moment. In this context, it is important to reach an agreement to defend Italian Doc wines productions from unfair competition.