New Zealand Wine Exports Rise in Volume But Remain Flat in Value
In the year ending June 2026, New Zealand's wine exports increased by 6% in volume to 306.2 million litres but remained flat at NZ$2.1 billion (US$1.19 billion) in value sales compared to the previous year. While export volumes grew across most major markets except the US—where a 12.5% tariff led to a 7% decline—the overall market conditions and supply-demand imbalance have caused higher inventory levels, reduced grape demand for vintage 2026, and pricing pressure. New Zealand Winegrowers chair Fabian Yukich noted that exports account for about 90% of the country's wine sales. The lower production in 2026—440,000 tonnes harvested, down from 518,000 tonnes in 2025—is helping to ease supply pressures but will take time to rebalance with demand and export performance. In a related development, Australia's wine exports also fell by 6% year-on-year to their lowest level since 2004. Wine Australia attributed the decline to worsening trading conditions in key markets amid falling global wine consumption.
Topics: agriculture international trade tariffs wine exports