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French spirits exports outperform wine
French spirits exports reached an “all-time-high” in 2016 and significantly outperformed exports of French wine, according to new figures.
Cognac has helped bolster French spirits exports sales to an “all-time-high”
In total, French spirit export sales increased 5.2% to €3.9 billion, while volumes grew 5.1% to 50.5m cases, according to the Fédération des Exportateurs de Vins & Spiritueux de France (FEVS).
However, French wine export sales fell 0.8% to €7.9bn – blamed on the impact of pound sterling’s decline on Champagne sales in the UK – and volumes dropped 1.8% to 135m cases.
Value and volumes of French spirits were boosted by the positive performance of Cognac, which rebounded to the levels seen before China’s austerity measures. According to the FEVS, Cognac reached record sales both in volume (+5.5%) and in value (+6.5%) last year.
Armagnac was the only French spirit to decline in 2016 – both in value and volume terms. Calvados saw the greatest value and volume increases of 5.9% and 8.3% respectively.
In 2014, French vodka sales overtook Cognac by volume, but this normalised after vodka volumes declined in 2015.
In 2016, the total French wine and spirits category was bolstered by the US market, which “strengthened its position as the top destination for French wines and spirits,” according to the FEVS. Exports to the country jumped 8.1% to €2.8bn, benefiting from a “favourable macroeconomic environment and a high consumer demand”.
Meanwhile, sales to China soared 12.7% to €938m, “making 2016 the second‐best recorded year thus far for French wines and spirits in this market”. Across the entire Asian continent, exports rose 33% to €3bn.
Christophe Navarre, president of the FEVS, said that while French wine and spirits exports “enjoy a good position”, the industry suffers from a “structural deficit” in its ability to meet demand.
“We need to act without further delay in order to increase our production and export capacities, in particular in new markets, which are the growth drivers of tomorrow,” he added. “In a continually evolving environment, it is more important than ever that we work to help French producers to strengthen their competitive edge and to conquer new markets.”
In 2015, exports of French wines and spirits increased for the first time in three years.