Moldova’s wine exports to Japan reached $1.5 million in 2025, nearly quadrupling from 2017

Moldova exported $1.5 million worth of wine to Japan in 2025, nearly four times the level recorded in 2017, according to figures published Tuesday, November 10, by Logos Press and attributed to the Moldovan government’s press office.

The data show Japan gaining weight as a destination for Moldovan wine in Asia, even though the market remains small in absolute terms. The same figures said Moldova’s wine exports to the region reached 3.3 million liters in 2025, with a total value of $9.7 million.

Within that regional trade, Japan ranked third among Asian markets for Moldovan wine by export value. China remained the largest market in Asia for Moldova, with $3 million in wine exports in 2025. South Korea followed with exports valued at $400,000, a level the report said was 3.5 times higher than in 2017.

The figures point to a broader effort by Moldova to expand sales beyond its traditional markets and strengthen its position in Asia. For Japan, the 2025 export value suggests a steady increase over several years rather than a short-term spike, since the comparison used by the report goes back to 2017.

The report did not give the exact value of wine exports to Japan in 2017, only that the 2025 result was almost four times higher. Because that starting figure was not published, the precise dollar increase over the period cannot be calculated from the available information.

No volume figure for Japan alone was included in the data released through Logos Press. The report only provided the total regional volume and value, along with selected country breakdowns by export value. It also did not provide product categories, pricing details, or a split between bottled wine and bulk shipments.

Even so, the numbers suggest that Japan has become a more relevant outlet for Moldovan producers than it was several years ago. At $1.5 million, Japan accounted for a meaningful share of Moldova’s wine sales to Asia in 2025, though it still trailed China by a wide margin.

For Moldova, the growth matters because wine is one of the country’s best-known export products. The industry has long relied on foreign markets, and producers have spent years trying to broaden their customer base across Europe, Asia and other regions. Expansion into markets such as Japan can help reduce dependence on a small number of destinations, especially for a country with a relatively limited domestic market.

Japan is also a closely watched market in the global wine trade because of its stable consumer demand, strong import sector and preference for higher-value products. A larger foothold there can be important for producers seeking visibility and more diversified revenue, even if total sales remain modest compared with major export destinations elsewhere.

The figures released on November 10 referred to trade in 2025, not to shipments in 2026. Logos Press said the information came from the Moldovan government’s press office. The report presented the numbers as evidence that Asian markets are playing a larger role in Moldova’s wine export strategy, with Japan emerging as one of the country’s more important buyers in the region.