Canada cut wine imports 10.5% in the first quarter of 2026

Canada reduced its wine imports in the first quarter of 2026, with declines in both value and volume, according to Canadian customs data analyzed by the Spanish Wine Interprofessional Organization, known as OIVE. From January through March, the country imported 376 million euros worth of wine, down 10.5% from the same period a year earlier, while total volume fell 9.8% to 83.2 million liters. The average price slipped 0.8% to 4.52 euros per liter.

The drop was driven by weaker purchases of both packaged and bulk wine, though the contraction was much sharper in bulk. Imports of packaged wine, which includes sparkling wine, bottled still wine and bag-in-box formats, reached 361.9 million euros, down 8.9%, while volume edged down 0.5% to 61 million liters. The average price for packaged wine fell 8.5% to 5.93 euros per liter.

Bulk wine imports posted a steeper decline. Canada bought 14.1 million euros of bulk wine in the quarter, a drop of 37.5%, while volume fell 28.3% to 22.1 million liters. The average price for bulk wine declined 12.9% to 0.64 euros per liter.

The figures show that packaged wine continued to account for most of Canada’s import spending in the period, even as buyers cut back and paid lower average prices. Bulk wine remained a smaller segment by value but represented more than a quarter of imported volume, reflecting its much lower unit price.

Among exporting countries, France remained the leading supplier to Canada by value despite a decline in sales. French wine exports to Canada totaled 108.7 million euros in the first quarter, down 6.4% from a year earlier. Italy ranked second by value with 102 million euros, posting growth of 4.95%. Australia, Spain, New Zealand, Chile, the United States, Argentina and Portugal followed among the main suppliers by value.

By volume, Italy was Canada’s largest supplier in the quarter, with 17.5 million liters shipped, up 7.7%. Australia ranked second with 16.6 million liters, an increase of 0.8%. France placed third by volume with 14.9 million liters, up 0.2%.

Spain held fourth place among packaged wine suppliers to Canada in both value and volume. Spanish packaged wine exports reached 26.8 million euros in the first quarter, down 1.7%, while volume rose 9.6% to 5.2 million liters. That combination suggests a lower average price for Spanish packaged wines sold into the Canadian market during the period.

In bulk wine, Spain ranked eighth by value and sixth by volume. Spanish bulk exports to Canada totaled 0.62 million euros and 1.01 million liters from January through March.

The quarterly data point to softer demand in Canada’s imported wine market at the start of 2026, especially for higher-priced packaged products and for bulk shipments, where both volumes and prices moved lower. France kept its lead in value terms, supported by its position in premium segments, while Italy strengthened its role through higher shipment volumes and gains in export value. Spain maintained its place among Canada’s top packaged wine suppliers even as overall Canadian imports declined.