Easy access to the English market for New Zealand wines

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Since June 2020, the two countries have been negotiating a free trade agreement and reached an agreement in principle last October. The text was signed on Monday, February 28, but national regulatory procedures have yet to be finalized before it can take effect. As for the wine industry, it offers the revocation of the prestigious VI-1 certification used for New Zealand wines and the expansion of New Zealand winemaking practices recognized in the United Kingdom.

As part of the agreement, a task force will be formed to expedite the process of adopting certain oncological practices. The wine product contains ammonium chloride, alginic acid for clarification and agar, silver chloride and potassium ferrocyanide (maximum 0. 1 mg / kg) for stabilization and preservation of wines.

Retail price reductions are not guaranteed

At the same time, the customs duty on wine and spirits will be abolished. Currently, New Zealand wines entering the British border are taxed at 10 to £ 26 (or 12 to 31 euros) per hectoliter. In theory, New Zealand wines should be cheaper at retail, as stated by the British government at the time of signing the contract. But with regard to the Wine & Spirit Association, the gains are very small. ” It is difficult at this time to accurately calculate the decline in terms of price, especially as we are waiting to see if proposals regarding the revision of the excise tax calculation system will be recorded. “, Explains the association Whitisphere. ” As we said when signing the Free Trade Agreement with Australia, if alcohol is taxed, any benefit provided by the elimination of customs duties will be lost. “.

Therefore, the WSTA does not see any particular threat to the French sector: ” On our side, we see no direct impact on French exporters, other than existing competition, especially on competing grape varieties such as Chavignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, which supply New Zealand and France. “.

Long-term vision

According to the Association of New Zealand Manufacturers, the benefits lie in the long-term view of relations between the two countries. ” Wine importers as a whole will benefit from the long-term commitment and flexibility in marketing New Zealand wines. “Miles Peel, Director, WSTA, points out a concentrated offer to British consumers. Agreement with Philip Greigen, Director, New Zealand Wine Producers.” Encourage exporters to focus on the UK அறிந்து, knowing that this is the second largest export market for New Zealand wines, with a value of over 400 million NZD (244 M). Overall, the country exported 1.95 billion NZD (€ 1.2 billion) worth of wine in 2021, down 3% from 2020 due to a 19% drop in production last year. For its part, the United Kingdom wants to give new impetus to the export of its spirits to New Zealand, which currently earns 15 million (€ 18 million) a year.