China gets a taste for South African wine as tariffs take Australian varieties off the table
- South African vineyards have started tailoring their product to the Chinese market, with exports soaring in 2021
- The increase came as Beijing hit Australian wines with hefty tariffs
Wu Peng, director general of the foreign ministry’s African affairs department, said wine exports from South Africa to China increased by 193 per cent by volume in 2021 “and wineries began to make wines specifically tailored to Chinese tastes”.
“I am so happy to see these new possibilities brought to the Chinese table, and the vast prospect of cooperation between us,” Wu tweeted early this month.
In value terms, exports grew by 125 per cent, making South Africa the eighth biggest wine exporter to China, according to the China Association for Imports and Exports of Wine and Spirits.
04:01
Chinese wineries gaining domestic recognition amid Covid-19 pandemic
The increase comes in the aftermath of Beijing’s decision in 2020 to impose tariffs of up to 212 per cent on wines from Australia, at the time its biggest wine supplier by far.
