2026-07-31
The Netherlands reduced its wine imports in the first quarter of 2026, with declines in both value and volume and a slight drop in the average price, according to Dutch customs data analyzed by the Spanish Wine Interprofessional Organization, known as OIVE. From January through March, Dutch wine imports totaled €306.6 million and 78.5 million liters, down 4.5% in value and 3.9% in volume from the same period a year earlier. The average price slipped 0.6% to €3.90 a liter.
The decline was centered in packaged wines, which account for nearly all of the Dutch market’s imported wine value and volume. Imports of sparkling wine, bottled still wine and bag-in-box formats reached €303.4 million and 77.4 million liters in the quarter, down 4.4% in value and 3.5% in volume. The average price for packaged wine fell 1% to €3.92 a liter.
Bulk wine imports posted a sharper contraction, especially in volume. The Netherlands imported €3.1 million worth of bulk wine and 1.1 million liters during the quarter, down 12.8% in value and 28.4% in volume. Even so, the average price for bulk wine rose 21.9% to €2.80 a liter, suggesting that buyers shifted toward higher-priced shipments or different product mixes even as overall purchases fell.
Spain remained one of the leading suppliers to the Dutch market, but it lost ground at the start of the year. In packaged wines, Spain ranked third by value with €39 million in sales, down 5.8%, and third by volume with 10.2 million liters, down 9.3%. In bulk wine, Spain exported €0.23 million to the Netherlands, placing fourth by value, and 0.15 million liters, placing third by volume.
Looking at total wine imports by supplier, France held its position as the Netherlands’ largest source by both value and volume. French shipments reached €84.4 million in the first quarter, down 5.6% from a year earlier, while volumes fell 3% to 17.9 million liters. Italy remained second by value at €53.9 million, with only a slight decline from the same period of 2025, and second by volume at 13.3 million liters, up 0.7%.
Spain ranked third by value overall with €39.2 million, down 6.1%. By volume, however, Spain fell to fourth place with 10.4 million liters, down 9.3%, behind Germany, which supplied 12.8 million liters despite an 11.9% decline.
The supplier rankings show a market still led by France and Italy while Spain faces more pressure in a contracting environment. Other leading suppliers to the Netherlands by value during the quarter included Germany, Belgium, Chile, South Africa, Portugal and the United States.
The figures point to weaker Dutch demand at the start of 2026 across most imported wine categories. Packaged wines continued to dominate trade flows but declined in both spending and liters purchased, while bulk wine saw a steep drop in volume alongside a strong rise in average price. For Spanish exporters, the quarter brought lower sales and lower volumes in one of northern Europe’s established import markets at a time when competition from France and Italy remains strong.