The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) has released a new report highlighting how re-exportation has become a defining feature of the modern wine economy, shaping how wine moves across borders and where value is created.
According to The Global Trade in Wine: Role and Relevance of Re-exportation Hubs, re-exports now account for around 13% of all global wine exports, equivalent to 14 mhl valued at €4.6 billion. The findings, based on data from 2018-2023, represent the first comprehensive estimate of the global re-export market and offer new insight into the hidden geography of the international wine trade.
The OIV defines re-exportation as wine that is imported and then exported again, typically after storage, bottling or redistribution during a process that adds value beyond production.
“As wine trade becomes more complex, re-exportation has emerged as a key driver of market access and value creation,” the OIV said.
“Understanding these mechanisms is essential to grasping how the global wine market truly operates…and ensure a more flexible and adaptive global market.”
The report argues that re-export hubs have become structural components of the global wine economy, allowing the sector to adapt to disruptions such as Brexit, shifting tariffs and changing consumption patterns.
Leading re-export hubs
Europe remains the heart of the re-export system, led by traditional trading centres such as the UK, which continues to play a pivotal role as a redistribution platform despite limited domestic production. Between 2018 and 2023, the UK exported an average of 65.5 million litres of wine each year. Of this, 57.5 million litres were re-exports – mainly higher-value bottled and sparkling wines.
With an average export price of €9.58 per litre, UK re-exports were valued at €550m annually, underlining the country’s role as a gateway for premium products.
“The UK’s position as a re-export hub is underscored by the high value and average price of its exports,” the report notes.
In Asia, hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong SAR handle some of the most expensive wines in the world, channelling Champagne and fine wines to regional markets including Japan and mainland China. Singapore alone accounted for €471m in annual re-exports, while Hong Kong’s reached €240m.
Beyond these traditional hubs, others have emerged as regional connectors. Canada, for example, links the North American market and Angola as a redistribution centre for Sub-Saharan Africa. Smaller European markets such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark also play vital intermediary roles, handling large volumes of bottled and bulk wines for onward sale across the continent.
Economic impact
Globally, the wine trade has grown steadily in value even as overall volumes stabilise. International shipments now represent 47% of world wine consumption, demonstrating how far the industry has globalised since the 1990s. The OIV estimates that total international trade in wine reached around 100 mlh in 2024, worth more than €35 billion.
With trade increasingly shaped by global supply chains, the OIV said that tracking re-export flows is key to improving transparency in international trade statistics. A clearer understanding of re-exportation (and avoiding double-counting) will help producers, importers and retailers anticipate shifts in demand, strengthen supply resilience and make better-informed strategic decisions in a market worth tens of billions of euros each year.
