1.9 billion dollars (+6.8%) and 3.4 million hectolitres (+1.2%): 2018 for Italian wine in the USA

2018 was, after all, a positive year for Italian wine in the USA, where wine imports, on the whole, experienced a contrasting dynamic. The US Department of Commerce data for the entire year 2018, analyzed by Ice, confirm the divergent trend in wine imports from the U.S., already recorded in previous months. In fact, imports in value exceeded 6.2 billion dollars, with a growth of 4.9%, while quantities reached 11.52 million hectoliters with an almost specular contraction of -4.6%. Average prices also continued to rise, from $4.9 in 2017 to $5.4 per liter in 2018. The excellent results of sparkling and semi-sparkling wines (+7.9% in value and +7.9% in quantity) were confirmed, while the growth of red wines (+3.7% in value and -4.1% in quantity) and above all of the white wines (+0.8% in value and -3.2% in quantity) was more limited. The biggest increase concerns rose wines, with +31.8% in value and +21.1% in quantity, but with a relative weight that is still limited (they represent less than 6% of total imports).
“For Italian exports, 2018 was a positive year - underlines Ice - for all indicators: increase in value of 6.8% - the highest in the last 5 years - increase in quantities of 1.2%, strengthening of the market share, which rises to 32% compared to 31.4% in 2017, and growth in average prices that reach 5.9 dollars per liter, compared to 5.6 dollars per liter of the previous year (+5.4%). Total sales of Italian wine, therefore, exceeded 1.984 billion dollars in value, with wine representing almost 40% of total Italian exports in the food and beverage sector to the USA, with quantities at 3.4 million hectolitres.
In detail, Ice points out, white wines, with over 683 million dollars, are the most important component of our sales in the United States (over a third of the total), but in the period considered they decreased both in value (-0.2%) and quantity (-3.8%). Italy is the leading supplier with a 40% share followed by France with 19.6%.
Red wines, with over $672 million in sales, matched the weight of white wines in the basket of exports to the United States. Good growth in value (+6.5%), with stable quantities (+0.3%). Italy is the leading supplier with a market share of 32.5% (up from 31.6% in 2017), followed by France with 30.7%.
The sparkling and semi-sparkling wine sector is always very dynamic, representing over 22% of our exports to the USA, with around 440 million dollars. There was considerable growth both in value (+16.5%) and quantity (+11%). Italy is the second largest supplier after France with a market share of 34%.
The rose wine sector is expanding, although it represents less than 2% of our exports to the USA, with 32.7 million dollars (+23.6% in value and +8.2%) in quantity (+8.2%). Italy is the second largest supplier after France, but it is considerably detached (market shares are 78.4% and 9% respectively).
Finally, the excellent performance of liqueur wines (+13.4% in value and +11.6% in quantity) in which Italy has a share of 28%, aromatized wines (+34.1% in value and +25.4% in quantity) with a share of 84.7%, while organic wines recorded a decrease of -4% in value. In general terms, Ice again highlights, France is the leading supplier in terms of value (thanks in particular to the recent boom in rose wines), with growth in both values (+12.7%) and quantities (6.5%). New Zealand (third largest supplier, +3.6%) and Spain (fourth largest supplier, +1.5%) performed well in terms of value, while Australia, Argentina, Chile, and Germany fell sharply in both value and quantity. “It is still impossible to outline the prospects of the US market for the year that has just begun” - comments Ice, who stresses that, “on the instructions of the Ministry of Economic Development, and in close collaboration with Federvini, Unione Italiana Vini and Federdoc, the strong commitment to supporting Italian wine in the United States is confirmed”.