Trade Minister Joe Szakacs will lead a delegation of representatives from 36 wineries heading to Asia’s largest wine show later this month, as the state’s exporters aim to recapture some of what was once a more than $900 million market.

The Malinauskas Government will support the local wineries participating in VinExpo as they reengage with China following trade barriers lifting in March.

Nineteen producers will also travel to Shenzhen in mainland China and have an opportunity to develop important relationships with buyers.

The visit will be the first opportunity for SA wine representatives to meet Chinese buyers since tariffs lifted, with each winery’s attendance at VinExpo and the trade program in Shenzhen subsidised by the State Government’s nearly $2 million China reengagement support package.

Some wineries, including the Barossa’s Curator Wine Co, are projecting export growth of up to 60 per cent by the end of 2025 following China’s reemergence.

The China wine export market was valued at $946.5 million per year at their peak and accounted for nearly half of the state’s wine exports before crushing tariffs were introduced in late 2020.

This will be the first trade delegation to Hong Kong by any Australian Minister since before the pandemic, further demonstrating the Malinauskas Government’s commitment to supporting the wine industry’s reengagement with China.

Exports to China across all categories have grown by 39 per cent over the 12 months to March.

In that same period, SA was the only state in the country to see its global exports grow in that time – up three per cent to $17.7 billion, compared with a national decline of 10 per cent.

VinExpo will take place in Hong Kong between 28 and 30 May, with 10,000 trade visitors set to attend, consisting of importers, buyers, distributors, producers, sommeliers, and merchants.

Quotes

Attributable to Joe Szakacs

With Chinese tariffs lifting in March, VinExpo is a timely opportunity for our world-class wineries. It’s so important that we’re there, getting in front of overseas buyers.

While the recent decision by China to remove trade barriers on Australian wine is excellent news, it’s also important to diversify.

We’ve seen wine export increases of 73 per cent with Hong Kong over the past year, so now really is the perfect time for SA wineries considering exports to explore China, Vietnam and other Asia-Pacific countries.

This visit is yet another display of our Government’s steadfast commitment to the South Australian wine sector, which we will continue to strongly support.

Attributable to Tom White, Curator Wine Co proprietor and winemaker

Attending VinExpo in Hong Kong is an exciting opportunity to meet key distributors from right across Asia, all in the one place.

State Government support has greatly assisted us to attend VinExpo this year.

Wine markets in Asia are quickly expanding and South Australia’s world-renowned wine regions are competing with those in Europe and the US. It is vital that producers can visit the countries on our doorstep to build strong trade relationships with key industry players and strengthen market diversity.

Curator Wines currently exports to the UK, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand, and our first shipment since 2019 has just left for China.