Italian wine grows in China, and outdoes Spain, reveals the Italy China Foundation
study

The Chinese drink mostly wine from France, however, they are drinking more and more Italian wines, which have now topped Spanish wines, and Italy has climbed to position number 4 in value among the foreign wine suppliers to the “Celestial Empire”, thanks to the 62.8% growth of Italian wines in the first quarter of 2018. The ninth report of the Italy-China Foundation, “China. Scenarios and perspectives for companies”, has confirmed it. “This result”, as explained in the document, “was possible thanks to the work of Italian authorities in China who have invested heavily to achieve this result focusing on promoting, through the consumption of Italian wines, also the quality of Italian life and therefore, indirectly, the entire Made in Italy sector”.
The study, elaborated by the Business Study Centre of the Italia China Foundation (Cesif), gathers research, risk analyses and forecasts in the short-medium term regarding the Asian country. It also underlined how, in the entire food sector, "Italy has a trade surplus with China in the sector thanks to the 8.54% increase in imports and the 7.72% decrease in Chinese exports to Italy”. Italy is between first and second place in exports of chocolate, pasta and olive oil, followed by sparkling wine, mineral water, wine, coffee and cheese.
"Overall, Made in Italy, not just agri-food, has exceeded 20 billion dollars in exports for the first time in China, beating its 2014 record by over 22% in growth, which has not been this rapid, the researchers said, since 2010. Twenty-two percent makes Italy, on the whole, the EU country that has grown the most in China”.