New Zealand wine exports surge 24% in June as bulk shipments nearly double

Wine exports reached $166.5 million in June, driven by a 95% jump in bulk wine shipments and strong growth across key markets including a tenfold increase in sales to Hong Kong.

Headline figures show solid mid-year performance

New Zealand exported $166.5 million worth of wine in June 2022, up 23.8% on the same month last year. Export volumes rose 17.6% to 21.5 million litres, with the average unit price climbing to $7.73 per litre. The industry shipped to 55 destination markets during the month.

The rolling 12-month total to June reached $1.96 billion, representing growth of 141.7% year-on-year, though this figure reflects comparison against pandemic-affected periods in 2020–21.

Year-over-year growth accelerates from recent months

June's 23.8% value increase marked a notable acceleration from the softer growth rates seen earlier in 2022. The $166.5 million result was the strongest monthly performance since September 2021 and substantially ahead of the $123.1 million recorded in May.

The volume growth of 17.6% outpaced recent months but lagged behind the value increase, indicating favourable pricing conditions supported the result.

United States holds steady as Australia and Hong Kong surge

The United States remained the dominant market, absorbing $54.3 million (32.6% share) with growth of 21.3%. Australia recorded exceptional growth of 68.1% to reach $39.0 million and a 23.4% market share, cementing its position as the second-largest destination.

The United Kingdom, traditionally a major market, declined 27.3% to $26.6 million, claiming a 16.0% share. The weakness in the UK market stands in contrast to strength elsewhere in Europe, where Ireland jumped 57.0% to $3.8 million, the Netherlands surged 116.7% to $2.6 million, and Germany expanded 199.4% to $2.6 million.

Hong Kong delivered the month's most dramatic growth story, soaring 1,054.1% to $12.3 million and capturing 7.4% of total exports. This propelled the territory ahead of Canada, which fell 15.6% to $8.5 million.

Mainland China added 12.8% to reach $3.4 million, whilst Japan edged down 3.9% to $1.0 million.

Bulk wine surge drives divergent packaging trends

The composition of June's exports revealed a striking divergence between packaging formats. Bulk wine shipments—transported in containers exceeding 10 litres—jumped 94.9% in value to $48.5 million, accounting for 29.2% of total export value.

Bottled wine exports (in containers of two litres or less, including sparkling) grew a more modest 6.6% to $116.5 million. The average price differential between formats was substantial: bottled wine commanded $10.68 per litre whilst bulk averaged $4.68 per litre, a gap of $6.00 per litre.

The near-doubling of bulk exports suggests strong demand from offshore bottling operations and own-brand programmes, particularly in Australia where proximity enables cost-effective bulk shipment.

Provisional data subject to revision

These figures are drawn from Statistics New Zealand customs data for June 2022. As with all recent monthly trade statistics, the most recent month's figures are initially provisional and subject to revision as late declarations are processed and classifications finalised.