Italian wine exports in the first half of 2020 reached 2.91 billion euros. A drop of -3.4% compared to the same period in 2019 (a record year, when export sales exceeded 3 billion euros for the first time in the first half).
According to the research by Qualivita Wine Observatory based on Istat data, this is the result of opposing trends between the first and second quarters of 2020. The current year started very well compared to the excellent 2019 results. Italian wine exports grew in fact by +6.2% in the first quarter (1.53 billion in the first three months of 2020 compared to 1.44 billion in 2019). From April on, the effects of the Covid-19 health emergency began to weigh strongly with a drop in exports (April: -6.0%, May: -24.2%, June: -4.3%) for an overall drop by -12.1% in the second quarter (1.29 billion in 2020 compared to 1.58 billion in 2019).
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Export sales fell especially in Asian markets (-21.4%), whereas Italian wine did better in the EU countries (down -2%) and America (-1%). Among the main target markets, in the United States sales recorded a -1.7% while remaining stable in Germany (up +0.3%).
Italian Wine Exports in value (1st half 2020 – €)
| Country | Exports 2019 | Exports 2020 | Var. % |
| USA | 736,459,225 | 724,098,899 | -1.7% |
| Germany | 514,260,943 | 515,966,917 | +0.3% |
| UK | 342,326,370 | 309,453,249 | -9.6% |
| Canada | 153,274,479 | 158,367,174 | +3.3% |
| France | 99,564,045 | 108,518,361 | +9% |
| China | 63,563,679 | 37,076,522 | -41.7% |
| World | 3,015,063,927 | 2,913,320,441 | -3.4% |
In France a particularly positive trend was confirmed (+9%) – up 19% compared to the first half of 2018 and +34% compared to the same period in 2017 – as well as in the Netherlands (+12.1%) and Norway (+14.8%). As for non-EU markets, sales in Japan (down -16.5%), Russia (down -11.4%) and China (down -41.7%) were characterised by a particularly bad trand.
Italian Wine Exports in volumes (1st half 2020 – Kg)
| Country | Exports 2019 | Exports 2020 | Var. % |
| Germany | 274,956,972 | 288,720,379 | +5% |
| USA | 170,669,035 | 170,804,836 | +0.1% |
| UK | 127,706,488 | 123,652,249 | -3.2% |
| France | 54,447,218 | 61,743,353 | +13.4% |
| Canada | 36,744,467 | 37,249,461 | +1.4% |
| Japan | 24,374,979 | 20,360,415 | -16.5% |
| World | 1,029,996,620 | 1,026,377,122 | -0.4% |
ITALIAN WINE EXPORTS IN VOLUMES
In terms of volumes, Italian wine exports in the first half of 2020 fell by only -0.4% compared to the same period in 2019. This shows a general decline in average prices. In particular, in Europe and America exports volumes were higher than in 2019 (+1.3% and +0.4%, respectively), given a slight decline in values. By contrast, exports to Asia also fell in terms of volumes (down -21%).
