Wine Industry welcomes prospect of free trade with the EU
New Zealand Winegrowers welcomes the announcement of a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between New Zealand and the
EU.
Improved access into the EU would be hugely beneficial to industry growth, commented Philip Gregan, New Zealand
Winegrowers CEO. ‘An FTA with the EU would be a great outcome for New Zealand’s wine industry. The EU, as a whole,
represents our single largest market, with exports totalling over $460 million and representing in excess of 30% of
total wine exports.
‘Secure and competitive access to markets like the EU is fundamental towards achieving industry growth ambitions,’ said
Mr Gregan. ‘We would like to congratulate the government on taking a significant first step towards progressing Free
Trade negotiations.’
This announcement comes at a very opportune time for New Zealand’s wine industry, with a number of major wine events
planned for the EU during January, and the world’s largest wine fair, ProWein, taking place in Düsseldorf, Germany in
March.
New Zealand wine exports are currently valued at $1.47 billion, and the industry has a goal of achieving $2 billion by
2020.
ENDS