New Zealand wine exports surge 65% in January on explosive North American demand

Wine shipments reached $154.2 million in January 2025, driven by triple-digit growth in the United States and Canada as bottled exports climbed faster than bulk.

Strong start to the year

New Zealand exported $154.2 million worth of wine in January 2025, shipping 21.1 million litres at an average price of $7.31 per litre. The month marked a robust year-on-year increase, with export value up 65.4% and volume up 61.8% compared with January 2024. Wine reached 47 destination markets during the month.

Year-on-year momentum and rolling trend

The January result continues a period of solid export performance. Over the 12 months to January 2025, New Zealand wine exports totalled $2.07 billion, representing a modest 0.8% increase on the previous rolling year. The 65.4% surge in January stands in sharp contrast to the more moderate annual trend, reflecting strong northern hemisphere demand at the start of the year.

Monthly export values in 2024 ranged from $93.2 million in January to a peak of $209.5 million in February, with January 2025 sitting towards the lower end of that range in absolute terms but posting the strongest year-on-year growth.

North America dominates growth story

The United States cemented its position as New Zealand's dominant wine market, accounting for $81.1 million—52.6% of total January exports—up a striking 224.4% year-on-year. Canada mirrored this explosive growth, jumping 243.5% to $17.7 million and capturing an 11.5% market share.

The United Kingdom retained second place with $19.2 million in shipments (12.5% share), growing a more measured 14.4%. Australia, historically a major market, fell 32.3% to $17.8 million, slipping to third place with an 11.6% share.

Other notable performers included China, up 138.2% to $3.0 million, and South Korea, which grew 70.2% to $2.3 million. Ireland added $3.5 million (up 16.4%), while Singapore climbed 63.7% to $1.5 million.

Among markets shipping more than $0.5 million, France experienced the sharpest decline, falling 82.4% to just $0.6 million. The Netherlands dropped 69.4% to $0.5 million, and Germany decreased 11.0% to $1.7 million.

Packaging mix: bottled outpaces bulk

Bottled wine in containers of two litres or less—including sparkling—accounted for $108.5 million of January exports, up 72.9% year-on-year. Bulk shipments in containers larger than 10 litres contributed $45.7 million, rising 50.3% and representing 29.6% of total export value.

The price differential between formats remained substantial: bottled wine averaged $10.80 per litre compared with $4.14 per litre for bulk. This $6.66 gap reflects the higher-value positioning of finished, packaged product destined for retail channels, while bulk exports typically supply overseas bottling operations and represent commodity-grade material. The faster growth in bottled exports suggests stronger demand for premium, ready-to-sell New Zealand wine in key markets.

Data note

These figures are drawn from Statistics New Zealand's official merchandise trade data for wine (HS code 2204). Statistics for the most recent month are provisional and subject to revision as late declarations are processed and classifications finalised.