New Zealand wine exports reach $130m in May as US takes 37% share

New Zealand exported $130.1 million of wine in May 2021 across 48 destination markets, with the United States accounting for more than a third of total shipments.

May shipments steady after April dip

New Zealand wine exports totalled $130.1 million on a free-on-board basis in May 2021, representing 16.7 million litres at an average price of $7.81 per litre. The result marks a recovery from April's $114.2 million, though remains below the peaks of $156.7 million in March and $138.7 million in January. February recorded $135.5 million in exports.

The rolling 12-month total to the end of May stood at $675.3 million.

Year-over-year comparisons unavailable

Comparative data for May 2020 is not available for this reporting period, preventing year-over-year analysis of both the monthly result and performance in individual destination markets.

United States dominates, traditional markets hold strong

The United States remained New Zealand's largest wine customer by a substantial margin, absorbing $47.7 million of May exports — a 36.7% share of the total. The United Kingdom held second position with $31.8 million (24.4%), while Australia took $19.6 million (15.1%).

Canada ranked fourth with $10.2 million in shipments, representing 7.9% of total exports. The top four markets together accounted for more than 84% of New Zealand's wine export value in May.

Ireland rounded out the top five with $3.4 million (2.6% share), followed by Germany at $2.3 million (1.8%), China at $2.0 million (1.6%), and South Korea at $1.9 million (1.5%).

The Netherlands imported $1.4 million of New Zealand wine in May, whilst Hong Kong took $1.3 million. Poland and France each accounted for approximately $1.0 million in shipments, with market shares of 0.8% each.

New Zealand wine reached 48 destination markets during the month, reflecting the industry's broad geographic spread.

Bottled wine commands significant price premium

Bottled wine in containers of two litres or less — including sparkling products — dominated May exports at $115.9 million, representing 89.1% of total value. Bulk wine shipped in containers exceeding 10 litres contributed $13.9 million, or 10.7% of export value.

The pricing gap between formats remained substantial: bottled wine averaged $8.75 per litre, more than double the $4.17 per litre achieved for bulk shipments. This $4.58 differential underscores the significantly higher returns generated by finished, packaged product compared to wine exported for bottling offshore. The packaging mix indicates that whilst the vast majority of export value derives from bottled formats, bulk wine continues to play a role in New Zealand's export strategy, likely serving different market segments and commercial arrangements.

Provisional data subject to revision

These figures are drawn from Statistics New Zealand's overseas trade data for the month of May 2021. As with all recent monthly statistics, initial figures are provisional and subject to revision as late declarations are processed and classifications are refined. Readers should note that final values may differ from those reported here.