Wine imports in the United States rise in first half of 2025 amid market volatility

Wine imports in the United States closed the first half of 2025 with a notable increase, rising 7.4% in value and 1.9% in volume compared to the same period last year. According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the country imported $3.54 billion worth of wine and must between January and June, totaling 645 million liters. The average price per liter reached $5.48, up 5.4% from the previous year.

June was a positive month for the sector, with both value and volume of imports increasing by 3.8%. This growth helped offset declines seen in May and contributed to the overall positive trend for the semester. The market has shown significant monthly fluctuations, which analysts attribute to ongoing uncertainty around U.S. trade policy, particularly under the Trump administration. While some importers may have increased purchases at the end of 2024 in anticipation of new tariffs, subsequent months have seen alternating periods of stability, decline, and recovery.

The main drivers of growth were sparkling wines and bottled still wines. Sparkling wine imports surged by 18.4% in value to $859 million and by 16.8% in volume to 100 million liters during the first six months of the year. France was the primary beneficiary of this trend, capturing a large share of the growing demand for sparkling wines in the U.S.

Bottled still wines also performed well, with imports rising 5.3% in value to $2.52 billion and 4.5% in volume to 364 million liters over six months. Bag-in-box (BiB) wines saw strong growth from a small base, reaching $16 million and five million liters, but they remain a minor segment of the market.

In contrast, bulk wine imports experienced a sharp decline, falling 12.7% in value and 9.8% in volume. Canada, a major supplier of bulk wine to the U.S., was particularly affected by this drop.

France stood out as the leading winner among wine-exporting countries to the U.S., increasing its sales by an impressive 23% in value to $1.39 billion and by 20% in volume to 104.5 million liters during the first half of 2025. French wines also saw their average price per liter rise by 2.5%, reaching $13.31—more than double that of Italian wines.

French growth was strong across both sparkling wines (up 30% in value and 25% in volume) and bottled still wines (up 20% in value and 18% in volume). France also dominates the small but growing BiB segment.

Italy maintained its position as the top supplier by volume, selling 188 million liters in six months—a rise of 7.6%. However, its growth in value was more modest at just 3.7%, reaching $1.15 billion. Italian sparkling wines contributed significantly to this increase but at lower average prices than their French counterparts.

Other major suppliers had mixed results. Spain increased its export volume to nearly 35 million liters (up 7.2%) but saw a slight decrease in value (down 2.4%) to $185 million, reflecting lower average prices for Spanish wines on the U.S. market.

New Zealand managed a 14% increase in export volume but suffered a sharp drop in revenue (down 12.3%), as average prices fell by about 23%. Australia, Argentina, Chile, Portugal, and Germany also saw declines in export values despite some increases in volumes.

Canada experienced one of the steepest declines among major suppliers due to reduced bulk wine sales, with export volumes dropping by nearly 29% and values down by more than 7%.

The first half of this year has been marked by volatility and uncertainty for wine importers and exporters alike, driven largely by unpredictable trade policies and shifting consumer preferences within the U.S. Despite these challenges, overall imports have grown slightly both in value and volume, led mainly by strong demand for sparkling and bottled still wines from France and Italy at different price points.

The data suggest that while some countries are benefiting from current trends—especially those able to supply premium or popular categories—others are struggling with falling prices or declining demand for certain types of wine such as bulk shipments or lower-priced offerings. The coming months will likely continue to test both importers’ strategies and exporters’ ability to adapt to changing market conditions in one of the world’s largest wine markets.