Baijiu importers join forces to tackle US market

Private Cask Imports and CNS Imports have created an official partnership to expand the presence of Chinese spirit baijiu in the US market.

CNS Imports and Private Cask Imports have joined forces to market leading baijiu brands such as Moutai in the US

The Los Angeles-headquartered CNS was first established in 1982 and is the oldest importer of baijiu in the US, while Palm Beach-based Private Cask Imports distributes and markets super-premium wine and spirits.

Manny Burnichon, president and CEO of Private Cask Imports, said the two companies “complement one another in terms of expertise and relationships,” adding that PCI “benefits from offices and warehouses on the east and west coasts”.

According to the companies, which will now jointly market their baijiu portfolios in the US, while the spirit is “barely known” in North America, it has the highest value and volume of any spirits category in the world.

CNS Imports and Private Cask Imports will now handle brands including Moutai, Shui Jing Fang, Luzhou Laojiao, Jian Nan Chun and Mianzhu Daqu together.

Sales of high-end baijiu, a white aged spirit made from sorghum, wheat or rice, have been declining in its domestic market over recent years, impacted by China’s clampdown on extravagant spending.

However, speaking to The Spirits Business last year, Burnichon said this decline had “challenged the complacency” of baijiu producers, who are now seeking to offset declines in overseas markets.