Global wine trade and consumption fell to their lowest levels in several decades last year. According to a report by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), the decline was driven by US tariffs, economic pressures, changes in consumer habits, and climate impacts.
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Wine exports hit by tariffs and weaker demand
US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on imports to the USA have further complicated the situation in an industry already struggling with harsher climate conditions and declining demand. The United States remains the world’s largest wine market.
Global wine exports fell by 9.7 percent last year to 94.8 million hectolitres, the lowest figure since 2009. Export value decreased by 6.7 percent to 33.8 billion euros, or approximately 822.8 billion crowns. Global wine consumption simultaneously fell by 2.7 percent to 208 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1957. Since 2018, consumption has dropped by 14 percent.
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Biggest decline reported in China, France and the US
OIV Director John Barker told Reuters that data for 2025 shows the sector’s response both to the immediate impacts of US tariff policy and to longer-term changes related to climate and consumer habits. He noted that already in 2024, both exports and consumption fell to their lowest levels in recent decades – exports were at their lowest since 2010 and consumption at its lowest since 1961.
Lower consumption was recorded last year in nine out of the ten largest global wine markets. The main contributors to the decline were China, France and the USA. In the United States, consumption decreased by 4.3 percent, in France by 3.2 percent and in China by 13 percent. Since 2020, wine consumption in China has plummeted by 61 percent. Growth was recorded in Portugal, Brazil, Japan and parts of Eastern and Central Europe. The sector is now trying to adapt to lower consumption by emphasizing wine tourism, sustainability and products with lower alcohol content. OIV is also negotiating the introduction of a customs code for low-alcohol and non-alcoholic wines, which currently account for roughly one to two percent of global production. Global wine production last year totaled 227 million hectolitres, less than the OIV estimated in November. Compared to 2024, when production was at its lowest since 1961, it increased by 0.6 percent.
Source: ČTK
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