The meeting of Foreign Ministers Wang Yi and Penny Wong on Wednesday March 20 in Canberra was closely followed in China, notably by Australian wine producers present at the food and alcohol fair in Chengdu, in the west from the country. Everyone hopes that the sanctions targeting Australian bottles on the Chinese market will soon be lifted.
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From our special correspondent in Chengdu,
Bottles and kangaroos are present on the posters, the visitor immediately knows where he is when he arrives at the Australian pavilion at the Chengdu fair.
Australian wines have come a long way, since they were the first to fall under the influence of Chinese sanctionsat the height of tensions between the two countries in 2020.
Towards a lifting of sanctions
A huge shortfall for the sector since the Chinese market represented 40% of Australian wine exports before the crisis. The lifting of restrictions could be decided at the end of the month, the head of Chinese diplomacy suggested on Wednesday in Canberra.
A message heard by distributors, tells us this Australian wine representative at the show : “They ask me when Australian wines will come back and I tell them: very soon, at the end of the month! »
But for now, we still have to wait. According to the organizers, fifty Australian exhibitors were present during the “hotel off” which traditionally precedes the opening of the show, but they came without their bottles.
“ It was very difficult for us to come to the show this year, explains this Australian wine representative. I am the only representative here. The others were present during the off, but they were only able to bring spirits. For the moment, we cannot bring our wines to China. »
A decline in consumption
For three years, Chilean wines have replaced Australian wines among Chinese distributors. “Quite frankly, it’s not the same thing,” confides with a smile the representative of Australian wines for whom Australian wines are better and very suited to Chinese palates and cuisine. The lifting of customs tariffs is therefore ardently desired by an entire industry, despite the context. Because like everywhere, wine consumption has slowed down in China.
“ As Australian producers we’re not sure about the future here to be honestestimates this representative of Australian wines. But we are still present at the show. You see the economic situation in China, we are not sure of the evolution of the market and consumers. »
The meeting of Chinese and Australian foreign ministers is to prepare for the visit to Australia of Prime Minister Li Qiang this year. This in order to develop “a more mature, stable and fruitful global strategic partnership” between the two countries, Wang Yi declared on Wednesday. We don’t yet know if there will be wine at the table.
“2024, year of promoting consumption”, say the banners. There is an interest in doing quite a promotion, consumption remains sluggish and sales, particularly of wine, plunged during the Covid years. pic.twitter.com/ovnrGsTRtr
— Stéphane Lagarde (@StephaneLagarde) March 21, 2024
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