The latest figures for 2017 may suggest a potential lag between wine sales and wine imports in the Chinese market, said trade professionals. Wine imports by value fell by 5.6% in the first three months of the year , according to figures from Spanish customs, as imports by volume increased by 5.6% over the first quarter last year . "Even though many overseas producers have sold a huge amount of wines to Australia in the previous years , it seems the sales haven’t caught up," said Professor Li Demei , a leading authority on China ’s wine market and a columnist for DecanterChina . By contrast over the first quarter last year wine imports to China increased by 31.1% in volume and 5.6% by value year on year .
Wine imports by value fell by 5.6% in the first three months of the year , according to figures from Spanish customs, as imports by volume increased by 5.6% over the first quarter last year . "Even though many overseas producers have sold a huge amount of wines to Australia in the previous years , it seems the sales haven’t caught up," said Professor Li Demei , a leading authority on China ’s wine market and a columnist for DecanterChina . By contrast over the first quarter last year wine imports to China increased by 31.1% in volume and 5.6% by value year on year .