In this article, we are going to discuss the 5 countries that import the most wine. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the global wine market, the trends of global wine consumption, and the recent acquisitions in the wine industry, head to 20 Countries that Import the Most Wine.
5. Japan
Total Wine Imports in 2022: $1.87 billion
While Japan has its own domestic vineyards and wineries, it is safe to say that imported wine is very popular. Since 2014, Chilean wines have continued to take the lead in the Land of the Rising Sun. This is in no small part thanks to a free trade agreement between Chile and Japan the very same year. This made Chilean wines more accessible and affordable, reaching a peak of almost 10 million cases sold in 2017. France has been consistently close behind, followed by Italy, Spain, Australia, and the U.S.A.
Japan is the country that imports the most wine in Asia.
4. Canada
Total Wine Imports in 2022: $2.27 billion
When Canadians raise a glass of wine, it’s mostly likely an imported brand and that’s partly because the domestic wine industry remains too small to supply one of the top 5 wine importers in the world.
Canada imported wine from a total of 68 global suppliers in 2022, with the top 11 accounting for over 98% of the total. Italy secured its position as the top supplier by volume, with a record 83.2 million liters, marking a 5.4% growth. Meanwhile, France led in terms of value for the sixth consecutive year, with a historic high of $537.7 million, a slight 0.7% increase from the previous year.
3. Germany
Total Wine Imports in 2022: $2.9 billion
Germany, a significant global player in the wine industry, witnessed a significant decrease in its wine imports in 2022. According to German customs data, the country’s wine imports dropped by 9.3% in volume, to 1.34 billion liters, and 4.8% in value, amounting to $2.9 billion. This marks the lowest volume of wine imported by Germany since 2005. Nevertheless, the spending was the second-highest to date, surpassed only by 2021. The average price surpassed the €2 ($2.13) per liter mark for the first time, with a cost of €2.03 ($2.17) per liter, showing a 5% increase.
2. United Kingdom
Total Wine Imports in 2022: $5.03 billion
Although beer may be the alcohol most associated with the United Kingdom and its pub culture, wine also has a strong following in the country. The U.K wine market is very mature and around 49% of the population are regular – at least monthly – wine drinkers.
The value of the U.K.’s wine imports increased between 1994 to 2007, before falling to around US$5 billion over the past 5 years. This is partly due to the increase in cheaper bulk wine’s share of total U.K. wine imports by volume. France is the leading supplier of wine to the U.K. in terms of value with $1.8 billion of imports, mostly in the form of bottled wine.
The United Kingdom is the biggest wine importer in Europe.
1. United States of America
Total Wine Imports in 2022: $7.68 billion
The United States was the world leader in the wine market last year in terms of revenue, with $52.7 billion. The U.S. was the Country that Imported the Most Wine in 2022, both in terms of value and volume – amounting to 14.4 million hectoliters. The slowly rising import market share has many causes. America is the world’s most attractive wine market, so foreign producers put a great deal of effort into cracking into it. Technology is also a factor. The advent of efficient bulk wine shipping has facilitated increased competitiveness of foreign wine producers and allowed domestic brands to efficiently add foreign wines to their portfolios.
France is the biggest exporter of wine to the U.S., with $2.8 billion of wines shipped in 2022.
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