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France exported wines and spirits worth 11.9 billion euros in 2016. The export total thus increased by 1.2 percent compared to the previous year and represents a new record, as the French Federation of Wine and Spirit Exporters (FEVS) announced. The quantity of wine and spirits exports remained the same at 188 million cases.
Spirits accounted for the greater share of export success in this development. At 7.9 billion euros, export revenues for wine were 0.8 per cent below the previous year's value, and the export quantity fell by 1.8 per cent to 136 million cases. According to the FEVS, the wines delivered abroad came mainly from Champagne (33%), Bordeaux (23%) and Burgundy (10%); other regions of origin in strong demand were the Rhône, Loire, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence.
FEVS President Christophe Navarre named the USA and China as the most important growth markets for the export business. The United States was also the largest export market for French wines and spirits in 2016 with a revenue total of 2.8 billion euros and an increase of eight percent. The second most important export market was Great Britain with total revenues of 1.3 billion euros, although a slump of eight per cent was recorded here. China followed in third place with 938 million euros in export revenues and 13 per cent growth, and Germany in fourth place with 824 million euros in revenues and a three per cent decline. Navarre explained the losses in Great Britain and Germany on the one hand with the fallen exchange rate of the British pound and on the other hand with the price sensitivity of German consumers.
The wine and spirits sector is the second largest surplus sector in France's foreign trade balance after the aviation industry.