Australian wine which is exported to China, will no longer be subject to tariffs after the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) saw them abolished on 1 January 2019.

The FTA has been in place since December 2015 and in that time the level of tariff on wine has been gradually reduced. The Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud, said that the FTA between Australia and China had pushed significant growth in exports to China over the last 12 months.

Wine exports have continued to increase, with China now the largest export market by volume for Australian wine. There have also been significant increases in the level of beef, dairy and fruit exports to China.

“Tariffs our on our farm produce going into China will be largely eliminated on January 1,” Minister Littleproud said.

“Key exports including wine, most fruit and vegetables, seafood and some dairy will no longer cop a tariff in China, which means our produce will be more affordable for Chinese consumers.”

With zero tariffs now in place and the popularity of Australian wine increasing year on year in China, the market is now a huge opportunity for Australian wine producers. With producers needing to look at whether they have the capabilities to succeed in the market, the Wine Communicators of Australia, along with key decision makers and influencers in the marketing communication space is launching an exciting new platform to build the necessary capabilities needed for Australia’s key wine growth market, China.

In April 2019, the WCA will host the China-Australia Wine Marketing Summit. This event will bring together thought leaders and industry experts who will provide attendees with the latest insights and knowledge required to grow in the Chinese wine market.

WCA Executive Officer, Lynda Schenk said: “Hosting the 2019 China-Australia Wine Marketing Summit is an important step forward for the WCA. Our key purpose is to provide insights and ensure our members are up-to-date with the latest strategies and techniques in wine marketing and communication.

“This Summit reinforces this, and we look forward to this platform creating value for winemakers, wine marketers, wine writers, and wine retailers.”

Key topic areas for the summit include:

Insights and Trends in the Wine Marketing and Communications Space

  • Key Wine Trends in China.
  • Top 5 Provinces forecasted for growth.
  • Wine Insights – what is the Chinese consumer telling us?

Creating Exceptional Connections with Chinese Consumers

  • WeChat, Social and on the Other Side of the Great China Firewall.
  • Distribution to China – eCommerce landscape.
  • Chinese consumers – how they want Australian marketers to engage with them – how they are

Communicating with Chinese consumers

  • The Payments Landscape – what Chinese consumers demand from Australian Wine communicators.
  • Protecting your IP in China.

Latest Tech Trends – Shaping how we communicate with the Chinese Consumer

  • Blockchain trends and how this technology can build trust and enable engaging marketing communications.
  • Wine label technology.
  • Artificial Intelligence or Augmented Reality – Innovative ways to communicate with customers and the

Implications for the future

  • Martech that enables consumers to follow the whole journey of making wine.

Wine Tourism

  • Wine Tourism trends from today’s Chinese travellers.
  • Driving tourists to Australia’s wine regions.
  • Success factors attracting Chinese tourists.

The summit will take place in Sydney in April and more information is available through the Wine Communicators of Australia website.

Andy Young

Andy joined Intermedia as Editor of The Shout in 2015, writing news on a daily basis and also writing features for National Liquor News. Now Managing Editor of both The Shout and Bars and Clubs.

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