Federvini president, Lamberto Gancia, unveiled the results of the Italian wine industry’s exports to China defining the People’s Republic as “an incredibly interesting market” adding “that some obstacles still exist.”
Mr. Gancia’s comments also went beyond wine to address Italian liquors and spirits, explaining that “in 2011, the overall trend for the export to China segment showed a 67% increase in volume and 150% in value compared to a year before. Sparkling wines also reached an important objective, with 57 thousand hectolitres (5.7 million litres) worth nearly 6 million euros.”
Among the primary difficulties facing Italian exports to China, the head of the wine producers’ union added, is “obligatory registration with Aqsiq, China’s food safety agency.” For grappa the results for exports are impacted by “the limits on methanol, the parameters of which are so precisely fixed by Chinese law that each product must receive a certificate of analysis to demonstrate its legality.”
Gancia considered it wise to offer a few suggestions to remedy the situation, concluding that “more dialogue between the European Commission and Chinese authorities must take place, together with new tools to protect exporters through interventions which are better targeted to Chinese and Italian officials.
Gancia Gives Figures
