EU wine exports fall 11% in January

The European Union’s wine sector started 2026 with a sharp drop in exports, as sales of wine and other wine-based products to countries outside the bloc fell to €1.04 billion in January, down 11% from €1.167 billion a year earlier, according to data released by the European Commission on the EU-27’s agri-food exports.

The decline left wine and related products accounting for 5.92% of the European Union’s total agri-food exports in the first month of the year. That share underscores the sector’s continued importance in the bloc’s farm trade, even as overall EU agri-food exports also weakened. The Commission said total agri-food exports from the EU-27 to non-EU countries fell 8% in January compared with the same month in 2025.

The January figures point to a difficult start to the year for one of Europe’s most visible export industries. Wine remains one of the EU’s largest agricultural export categories by value, but the latest data show that its performance was pulled down by both lower volumes and weaker prices. Export volumes fell 16% in January, while average export prices dropped 19%, suggesting that the decline was driven not only by fewer shipments but also by pressure on pricing in foreign markets.

The United States appears to have played a central role in the downturn. Industry analysts have pointed to a comparison effect after unusually strong imports into the American market in January 2025, when buyers accelerated purchases ahead of possible tariff changes. That front-loading inflated last year’s baseline and made this year’s decline look steeper, but it does not fully explain the weakness in value and pricing seen at the start of 2026.

The drop in exports also narrowed the sector’s trade surplus. Imports of wine and wine-based products into the European Union remained relatively small and changed little, falling to €109 million from €116 million a year earlier. As a result, the sector’s monthly trade surplus slipped to €931 million from €1.051 billion in January 2025, a decline of €120 million.

Even with that setback, wine continues to generate a large net contribution to the EU’s agricultural trade balance because domestic production still covers most demand inside the bloc and leaves substantial volumes available for export. But the January figures suggest that producers are facing a more fragile market environment than they did a year ago.

The broader trend over the past two years has also been negative. EU wine exports were valued at €17.456 billion in 2024 and €16.422 billion in 2025, indicating that the sector had already lost ground before this year began. The January decline adds to concerns that some key markets may be reaching saturation or shifting toward lower-priced products.

For European wineries and exporters, the immediate concern is margin pressure. A fall in prices faster than volumes can erode profitability even when shipments remain substantial. That makes demand in major destinations such as the United States especially important, while also increasing pressure on producers to diversify sales and protect brand value in markets that have become more volatile.