New Zealand wine exports surge 13% in July on surging North American and Chinese demand

Wine exports reached $182.7 million in July 2026, driven by a 57% jump in United States shipments and a doubling of sales to China, though the performance masked a sharp contraction in bulk wine shipments.

Headline numbers

New Zealand exported $182.7 million worth of wine in July 2026, up 13.2% on the same month a year earlier. Volume rose 8.4% to 25.7 million litres, pushing the average price to $7.10 per litre. The rolling 12-month total to July reached $2,117.7 million, a modest 1.5% increase year-on-year.

North American markets power growth

The United States cemented its position as New Zealand's dominant wine market, absorbing $51.6 million — 28.2% of all exports — and recording a 56.7% year-on-year surge. Canada delivered an even sharper 69.5% increase to $21.8 million, claiming an 11.9% market share.

The United Kingdom remained the second-largest destination at $41.5 million, up 22.8%, representing 22.7% of total exports.

China doubled its import value year-on-year to $10.6 million, securing a 5.8% share and signalling renewed momentum in a market that has faced headwinds in recent years.

Australia retreats, Asia mixed

Australia's imports collapsed 48.9% to $22.8 million, though the country retained its third-place ranking with a 12.5% share. The Republic of Korea also pulled back sharply, down 30.9% to $3.7 million, while Japan dipped 5.3% to $2.3 million.

Among smaller European markets, Ireland rose 36.0% to $6.8 million and France climbed 67.4% to $3.8 million. Germany added 10.6% to reach $3.5 million.

Emerging markets in the spotlight

Several smaller destinations recorded triple-digit percentage gains, albeit from low bases. Spain surged 285.4% to $0.8 million, Thailand jumped 277.7% to $0.5 million, and Finland rose 173.2% to $0.7 million. Bulgaria increased 114.0% to $1.0 million and Sweden climbed 101.1% to $0.7 million. Latvia also featured among the fastest-growing markets, up 76.9% to $0.5 million. New Zealand shipped wine to 56 destination markets during the month.

Bottled wine dominates as bulk shipments slide

Bottled wine in containers of two litres or less — including sparkling — accounted for $140.2 million of July exports, a robust 28.5% increase year-on-year. Bulk wine shipped in containers exceeding 10 litres totalled $42.6 million, representing 23.3% of total export value but down 18.6% from July 2025.

The pricing gap between the two formats remained stark: bottled wine averaged $10.54 per litre compared with $3.42 per litre for bulk. The diverging performance underscores the industry's continued emphasis on premium, branded product for key markets, while bulk shipments — often destined for bottling or blending offshore — face softer demand.

Provisional data

All figures are drawn from Statistics New Zealand merchandise trade data. Figures for the most recent month are initially provisional and subject to revision as late declarations are processed and classifications finalised.