Wednesday, 17 November, 2021
Business Day, Michael Jones
Recent figures from Wines of SA show SA wines gaining ground in the Chinese market, as was expected after diplomatic rows between Australia and China saw tariffs of up to 212% slapped on Australian wines. These tariffs, combined with cumulative years of promotional effort from the SA wine industry and the current state of the Chinese economy, couldn’t have come at a better time.
The resurgent — to the tune of 18.3% year on year in quarter one of 2021 GDP growth — Chinese economy has offered SA wine exporters a hard-to-beat market, as localised lockdowns and mass testing have ended social distancing in the country. With unmasked wine drinkers now the norm rather than the exception at China’s bars and banquets, Australia’s badly timed tariff headache has turned out to be SA’s gain.
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