Istat: in the first quarter of 2019 wine shipments grew +5.2% in value and +9.9% in volume

Telling the dynamics of Italian wine exports is always quite complex, because the jungle of data and sources often reveals contrasting realities. WineNews, to report the first four months of 2019, has relied on Istat numbers, those relating to the product category number 2204, that is: “Wine of fresh grapes, including wines fortified with alcohol; grape must, partially fermented and of an actual alcoholic strength by volume > 0,5 % vol. or of an actual alcoholic strength by weight > 0,5 % vol. added.” After specifying the methodological aspects, data give a very positive overview: in the first quarter of the year, shipments of wine from the Belpaese registered an increase of +5.22% in value and +9.92% in volume over the same period of 2018, at a rate of 1.96 billion euros and 666 million kilograms, respectively (it’s the extent whereby Istat indicates the volumes of any goods exported, including wine). As it is easy to imagine, the performances of the different countries differ, with Japan showing the most important growth: +16.12%, at 55.65 million euros. Russia is also doing well, with exports of Italian wine growing by 11.70% to 28 million euros. Brexit effect, most likely, behind the +10.03% of Great Britain, where with the fear of an exit from the EU, which would involve a sudden increase in taxes, the race to stock has increased shipments from the Belpaese to 225 million euros. China is also recovering (+6.45%), and it “bounces” to 41.81 million euros of imported Italian wine, and above the average is also the growth of Germany (+5.99% to 333 million euros) and France (+5.78% to 61.98 million euros), while the US stops at +3.18%, ahead of all with 498 million euros. Almost imperceptible fluctuations, among the main markets for Italian wine, in Switzerland (+0.95% to 128.59 million euros) and Canada (-0.28% to 92.53 million euros).
In terms of volumes, on the other hand, the greatest growth in the period January-April 2019 is still in the Japanese market (+19.93%, to 14.8 million kilograms), but France is also strong (+19.17%, to 34.9 million kilograms), with Germany, first in absolute terms with 174.5 million kilograms of imported wine, on the lowest step of the podium, thanks to a growth of +13.63%. Then the United Kingdom (+12.58%, to 83.6 million kilograms), China (+10.73%, to 12.3 million kilograms) and Russia (+8.84%, to 11.6 million kilograms). Negative data for Switzerland (-5.82%, at 24.1 million kilograms) and Canada (-0.41%, at 23.4 million kilograms), with the USA at just 1.93%, at 116.6 million kilograms.