Australian wine gets greater access to China, Hong Kong
Australia’s growing wine exports to China and Hong Kong will be strengthened with two new agreements to increase cooperation and promote the trade, according to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke.
Mr Burke this week signed two memoranda of understanding on wine exports, in Hong Kong and Beijing.
He said the China agreement will establish a single point of contact to address market access issues such as certification and labelling.
“In a country the size of China, a single window to government will make it easier for the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation to help exporters ship wine to this important market,” Mr Burke said.
In the year to March 2009, Australian wine exports to China were worth $81.2 million, making it the largest Asian market for Australian wine.
In the same year, more than 5.6 million litres of wine were exported to Hong Kong, valued at $40.7 million.
Hong Kong is being established as a wine hub for Asia and, in the year to March alone, Australian wine exports to Hong Kong grew by more than 21%.
“As the consumption of wine grows throughout Asia, Australia is set to enjoy an increasing share of that growth,” Mr Burke suggested. “Australia will also benefit through the establishment of a single contact point for addressing market access issues.”
“The agreement will also help to lift the profile of Australian wine in Hong Kong.”
China is currently Australia’s eighth largest market for wine by volume and fifth largest by value. Hong Kong is Australia’s 13th largest market for wine by volume and 12th largest by value.