New World wine exports fell 8.2% in the first half of 2026.

Wine exports from the six largest “New World” producing countries fell sharply in the first half of 2026, adding to evidence that the global wine trade remains under pressure from weaker demand, lower prices and changing market conditions.

The group, made up of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Chile and the United States, posted combined export sales of €2.6 billion from January through June, down 8.2% from a year earlier, according to an analysis released Monday by Del Rey Analysts of Wine Markets, which used official statistics from each country. Export volume also fell, by 6.3%, to 10.6 million hectoliters, while the average export price slipped 2% to €2.47 a liter.

South Africa was the only country in the group to increase both export value and volume in the first half. Its wine exports rose 6.2% in value to €280 million, while shipments reached 144 million liters. Argentina increased volume by 12%, but that gain was offset by a 12.6% drop in average prices, leaving export revenue down 2.1%.

Every other major producer in the group recorded declines in both value and volume. The United States had the steepest drop in export revenue, with sales down 18.1% to €341 million. Shipment volume from the United States fell 11.8% to 92.6 million liters.

Australia remained the largest exporter in the group by value, with €677.4 million in wine exports in the six-month period. Chile followed at €568.2 million, and New Zealand was close behind at €499.2 million. The United States, South Africa and Argentina all posted lower totals.

The report points to a common pattern across the six countries: large volumes still move abroad as bulk wine, but most of the money comes from bottled still wine. Bulk shipments represented 49.7% of total export volume in the first half, yet generated only 18.3% of export value. Bottled still wine in containers smaller than two liters accounted for 47% of export volume, but 78% of export revenue.

That split helps explain why export earnings fell faster than volumes in several markets. Bottled still wine exports from the six countries declined 7.1% in value and 5.5% in volume. Bulk wine exports fell even more sharply in value, down 10.9%, with volume off 5.8%. The average bulk export price dropped 5.1% to €0.91 a liter, while bottled still wine prices fell 1.7% to €4.08 a liter.

Sparkling wine remained a small part of the export mix for these producers compared with European rivals. The six countries together shipped 12.6 million liters of sparkling wine in the first half. That volume was down 1.2%, while value fell 3.9% and the average price slipped 2.7% to €4.98 a liter. Bag-in-box wine and must accounted for only a minor share of trade.

The reliance on bulk shipments differed widely by country. Bulk wine made up 65% of Australia’s export volume in the first half, 61.8% of U.S. shipments and 51.5% of South Africa’s. Chile and New Zealand also shipped large volumes in bulk, though under half of their totals. Argentina stood apart, with bulk wine accounting for 27.2% of export volume and only 7.3% of export value.

Australia showed an unusual shift inside its bottled still wine business. While many wine markets have lately seen white wines hold up better than reds, Australia moved in the opposite direction in the first half. Export revenue from bottled red wine rose by €20.1 million, while bottled white wine revenue fell by €20.7 million. Red wine sales reached €411.6 million, compared with €95.1 million for white wine. Rosé remained small at €5.4 million, but climbed 53.4%.

The change in Australia was driven by both price and volume. Red wine shipments fell 7.7%, but white wine shipments dropped 15.2%. At the same time, the average export price for red wine rose 13.9% to €7.92 a liter, while white wine prices fell 3.1% to €2.83 a liter. Even so, the broader picture for Australia was still negative, with total export value down from a year earlier.

The weakness in the first half extends a longer decline. Since 2017, the six-country group has lost nearly a quarter of its export value and more than a quarter of its export volume, according to the report. Combined export value fell 24.8% from €7.3 billion in 2017 to €5.5 billion in the year through June 2026. Export volume dropped 27.2%, from 31.1 million hectoliters to 22.6 million. Over that period, average prices increased only 3.4%, to €2.42 a liter.

The United States and Chile posted the deepest long-term declines in the group. Since 2017, U.S. wine export value has fallen 48%, while Chile’s is down 30%. Export volumes for the two countries declined 46% and 31%, respectively. The report said average export prices were broadly flat in Chile and slightly lower in the United States over the decade.

Australia and Argentina also recorded sizable losses over the same period. Australia’s export value fell 22.4% and its volume dropped 25.4%, despite a 4.1% increase in average prices. Argentina’s export value declined 23.7%, with volume down 16.5% and average prices falling 8.6%.

South Africa and New Zealand performed better than the rest of the group, though in different ways. South Africa’s export value fell only 9.7% over the decade even as volume dropped 37.7%, a result the report linked to a 45% increase in average export prices. New Zealand increased export volume by 20% to slightly more than 3 million hectoliters, but its average export price fell almost 17%, leaving revenue broadly stable.

By category, sparkling wine was the only segment to show growth since 2017 across the six countries combined. Its export value rose 4.8% over the period, though it still represented just 2.6% of export revenue and 1.3% of shipment volume. Bottled still wine export value fell 27% over the decade, and bulk wine value fell 13.1%.

For the United States, the report tied part of the recent pressure to trade policy changes and retaliatory measures, on top of an industry already dealing with weak demand. It said the collapse in U.S. bottled wine exports has been especially severe in the United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong and China. Those losses were not offset by gains in Japan, now the largest market for U.S. bottled wine, or by higher sales to South Korea, the Dominican Republic and France.