U.S. Wine Imports Plunge in Early 2026
Prices fell sharply as buyers cut purchases across packaged and bulk wines.
2026-05-29
The United States sharply reduced its wine imports in the first quarter of 2026, with total purchases falling 38.9% in value and 20.6% in volume from a year earlier, according to U.S. customs data analyzed by Spain’s Interprofessional Wine Organization, known as OIVE.
From January through March, the U.S. imported 1.069 billion euros worth of wine and 260.9 million liters, bringing the average import price down 23% to 4.1 euros per liter. The decline was broad-based and affected both packaged wines and bulk shipments, pointing to a weaker market after several years of higher prices and strong demand.
Packaged wines, a category that includes sparkling wine, bottled wine and bag-in-box formats, accounted for most of the market’s value and saw the steepest drop. Imports in that group fell 39.6% in value and 19.9% in volume, to 1.007 billion euros and 183.3 million liters. The average price for packaged wine fell 24.5% to 5.5 euros per liter.
Bulk wine also lost ground, though at a slower pace. Imports declined 24% in value and 22% in volume, reaching 61.3 million euros and 77.6 million liters. The average price slipped 2.5% to 0.79 euros per liter.
France remained the leading supplier to the U.S. by value in the first quarter, with exports worth 404.9 million euros, down 44.1% from the same period in 2025. Italy ranked second at 337.2 million euros, a decline of 38.46%. In volume terms, Italy led with 71.9 million liters, down 22.8%, followed by France with 44.5 million liters, down 15.1%. Canada was third by volume at 34.7 million liters, down 19%.
Spain held fourth place among suppliers of packaged wine by value, with exports to the U.S. totaling 56.4 million euros, down 35.9%. In volume, Spain also ranked fourth with 12.6 million liters, a drop of 26.2%. In bulk wine, Spain was much smaller in the market, ranking eighth by both value and volume with 0.16 million euros and 0.2 million liters.
Other major suppliers by value in the quarter included New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Portugal and Israel.
The data suggest that U.S. buyers were pulling back across categories while also paying less per liter than a year earlier, a sign that importers may be working through inventories or shifting toward lower-priced wines as consumers become more cautious about spending on imported bottles.
