The New Landscape of China’s Red Wine Import Market

According to the latest data from the China Wine and Spirits Association,the import volume of bottled wine reached 210 million liters from January to June 2025,an increase of 12% year-on-year.France (38%),Italy (19%),and Spain (15%) remained the top three import sources,while New World wineries such as Australia and Chile are accelerating their expansion into the Chinese market.Importers need to pay close attention to three key changes:

• Adjustmentoftariffpolicy:ThetariffonredwineoriginatingfromtheEuropeanUnionhasbeenreducedto8%.
• Upgradeoftraceabilitymanagement:Theapplicationofblockchaintechnologyinorigincertification
• Theconsumerclassificationisobviouslyhierarchical:Thedemandforproductsinthe300-800yuanpricerangehassurged.

The five core capabilities of professional agency services

Choose a red wineWhen evaluating the service capabilities of a company,it is recommended to focus on the following service capability matrix:

• QualificationManagement
  • Thevalidityperiodforfilingafoodbusinesslicense
  • ThesuccessrateofoverseaswineriesinregisteringinChina
• Customs clearance efficiency
  • OperationalExperienceatShanghai/Shenzhen/GuangzhouPorts
  • ChineseBackLabelPre-ReviewSystem
• Logistics solution
  • Thetemperaturecontrolsystemoftherefrigeratedcontainerisequippedwithaproportionalcontrolsystem,whichcanautomaticallyadjustthetemperatureaccordingtothesetvalue,ensuringthatthetemperatureinsidethecontainerremainsconstantwithinacertainrange.
  • Thedistributionnetworkofthebondedwarehousecovers

Analysis of the Entire Process of Import Operations

Taking Bordeaux AOC-level red wine as an example,the standard import process includes six key stages:

• Firststage:Qualificationfiling(15workingdays)
  • ObtainingtheregistrationnumberforforeignproducersinChina
  • Record-filingofImportedFoodConsignor
• Second stage: Document preparation (7 working days)
  • Matchwiththehealthcertificate
  • Pre-reviewofthealcoholconcentrationdetectionreport
• Third stage: Logistics and transportation (30-45 days)
  • Temperaturecurvemonitoring
  • Negotiationonthefreestorageperiodattheportofdestination

Strategies for Dealing with New Customs Clearance Policies in 2025

The General Administration of Customs issued Order No.178,which sets new requirements for the import of red wine:

• IngredientLabelingStandards:Thesulfurdioxidecontentmustbespecifiedinmg/Lwithprecision.
• TraceabilityQRcode:Theminimumsalesunitmustbeassignedamandatorycode.
• Thetaxincentivesareapplicable:TherulesofcumulationoforiginforRCEPmembercountries

It is recommended to adopt a "double label" scheme: the main label retains the design of the country of origin,and an independent Chinese subtitle that complies with GB7718 is added,which takes into account both the brand image and regulatory requirements.

Key cost control points

Taking 1×20’ containers (1200 boxes) of French wine as an example,the standard cost composition in 2025 is as follows:

• Tariffs:CIFprice×8%
• Value-addedTax:(CIFprice+customsduty)×13%
• ConsumptionTax:FOBprice×10%
• Logisticsoptimizationpotential:
  • ChoosingTianjinPortcanreducethedistributioncostsinNorthChina
  • ChangingfromLCLtoFCLcansave15%oftheunitfreightcost.

Guidelines for Preventing Common Risks

• DocumentRisk:Thedeviationbetweenthevalueonthehealthcertificateandthatonthecustomsdeclarationmustbewithin5%.
• Transportationrisks:InsurethegoodsundertheAssociation’scargoinsuranceclauseAwithanadditionaltemperatureriskcoverage.
• :Marketriskreferstotheriskthattheagentcannotachievetheexpectedrevenueduetomarketchanges.Theagentshouldpaycloseattentiontomarketchanges,adjustthebusinessstrategyinatimelymanner,andreducemarketrisks.:Itisrecommendedtoput30%ofthegoodsintothebondedwarehouseforbufferstorage