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Russia has massively reduced its wine imports from the European Union. They have reached the lowest level in 20 years. According to the Russian news agency Ria Novosti, based on Eurostat data, only 126,000 tons of wine from the EU have been imported since the beginning of the year. This represents a decrease of 25 percent compared to the previous year and marks the lowest import level since 2004. At that time, Russian importers only sourced 87,000 tons of European wine.
Italy remains by far the most important supplier and has doubled its market share in Russia to 39 percent. In the previous year, the value of Italian wine exports to Russia amounted to 158 million euros. Poland and Portugal also remain among the leading wine suppliers but have only recorded modest growth rates. In contrast, imports from Lithuania and Latvia have drastically collapsed.
Despite the reduced quantities, European wines continue to dominate the Russian import market, accounting for about 37 percent of the total volume. However, a further decline to below 30 percent is expected by the end of 2024. The largest wine importer outside the EU is Georgia, which holds an estimated market share of around 20 percent.
At the same time, wines from regions such as Latin America and South Africa are gaining importance. South Africa, in particular, is well positioned to meet the demand for white and sparkling wines in Russia. Chile also recorded good sales figures last year, delivering 16.6 million liters of wine to Russia.
One reason for the decline in European wine imports is the geopolitical tensions and the associated sanctions. In March 2022, the EU banned the export of wines worth over 300 euros per bottle to Russia, which, according to industry experts, had only a minor impact on the market. "Such premium wines accounted for only about one percent of the Russian market," says Leonid Rafailov, CEO of AST, a leading Russian importer of spirits.
Additionally, in 2023, Russia increased import duties on wine imports from "unfriendly countries," which includes the EU. The duties rose from 12.5 percent to initially 20 percent and in August 2024 even to 25 percent.
Despite the trade barriers, the demand for alcoholic beverages in Russia remains high. Current data suggests that the average alcohol consumption has increased this year. Evgeny Andreev, a researcher at the Center for Demographic Research of the Russian Economic School (NES), said in July in an interview with the Russian business newspaper Kommersant: "Currently, per capita sales of absolute alcohol in Russia are rising. This clearly indicates an increase in consumption. This is how the population reacts to difficulties."
According to the authors of the study, actual consumption could be nearly a third higher than indicated in the official statistics.
(ru / Drinks Business)