New Zealand wine exports decline 5.9% in July as Australia shipments slump

New Zealand exported $178.5 million of wine in July 2022, down 5.9% year-over-year, as volume fell 10.1% and a sharp contraction in Australian demand offset robust growth in the United States and emerging markets.

July exports retreat on lower volumes

New Zealand wine exports totalled $178.5 million in July 2022, shipping 24.5 million litres at an average price of $7.29 per litre. The value result represented a 5.9% decline on the $189.8 million recorded in July 2021, while volume retreated 10.1% year-over-year.

Despite the monthly decline, the rolling 12-month total to July reached $1.95 billion, up a substantial 94.7% on the prior corresponding period—a figure reflecting comparison against pandemic-affected shipments a year earlier.

Australia leads declines among major markets

The United States consolidated its position as New Zealand's largest wine export destination, accounting for $63.3 million and a 35.4% share of July shipments. The US market grew 4.0% year-over-year, providing a critical offset to weakness elsewhere.

In contrast, Australia—the third-largest destination—recorded a sharp 17.9% decline to $34.6 million (19.4% share), representing the steepest fall among the top three markets. The United Kingdom, the second-largest market, declined 7.0% to $40.7 million (22.8% share).

Canada, the fourth-largest destination, fell 15.2% to $10.6 million, whilst China contracted 52.0% to just $1.8 million as challenges in that market persisted.

Emerging bright spots in Asia and Europe

Several smaller markets delivered standout growth in July. Poland surged 434.3% to $1.2 million, whilst Singapore more than doubled with 130.7% growth to $2.4 million. Japan jumped 78.3% to $1.8 million, and Hong Kong expanded 42.0% to $1.1 million.

Germany grew a solid 28.2% to $3.2 million, though France declined 18.9% to $3.4 million. South Korea fell 24.4% to $1.8 million.

Overall, New Zealand wine reached 55 destination markets during the month.

Bulk exports hold ground as bottled shipments retreat

The composition of July exports highlighted divergent trends in the packaging mix. Bottled wine (in containers of two litres or less, including sparkling) accounted for $125.2 million but declined 8.9% year-over-year. Bulk wine shipped in containers exceeding 10 litres totalled $52.0 million, representing 29.1% of total export value, and posted modest growth of 1.7%.

The pricing gap between formats remained pronounced: bottled wine averaged $9.47 per litre—exactly double the $4.74 per litre commanded by bulk shipments. This substantial premium reflects the value-added nature of finished, branded product versus commodity wine destined for offshore bottling or blending.

The relative resilience of bulk exports suggests continued demand for New Zealand wine as a blending component or private-label input in offshore markets, even as finished bottle sales softened.

Provisional data

July's result of $178.5 million represented a sequential increase from June's $166.5 million but remained below the $199 million–$209 million range recorded during the spring shipping months of August–November 2021. Statistics New Zealand notes that figures for the most recent month are initially provisional and subject to revision as additional trade documentation is processed.