Press
Please note that the following references and press releases are reproduced from third-party websites/publications that may not comply with the APEC nomenclature and guidelines.
APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance Update | November 3, 2016
For the full text of the update, please refer here.
The “Wine Regulatory Forum: Good Regulatory Practices Action Plan” is a multi-year project funded by the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) that is focused on reducing trade barriers and enhancing regulatory and standards harmonization for wine trade across the APEC region...
Wine trade among APEC economies has grown dramatically from US $ 1.1 billion in 2000 to $8.1 billion in 2014. With this growth, the industry estimates that the rising number of unnecessary non-tariff barriers costs businesses (primarily small and medium sized wine producers) an estimated US $1 billion. A significant portion of these costs is attributed to unnecessary testing and multiple, overlapping export certificates for wine imports into developing economies.
The multi-year project addresses the critical need to overcome these trade obstacles and to promote regulatory coherence, which will allow wine trade to further prosper in the APEC region. The Wine Regulatory Forum (WRF) works collaboratively with the Food Safety Cooperation Forum, World Wine Trade Group, and the International Wine Technical Summit.
APEC News Release | July 7, 2016
For the full text of the article, please refer here.
"The APEC Model Wine Export Certificate, approved by regulatory and trade officials from APEC member economies, will make it simpler and more efficient to trade wine between them by consolidating their existing certificate requirements into a single certificate usable across the region. Focus now turns to supporting implemention of this voluntary, incentive-based measure.
'APEC's new model wine export certificate will reduce administrative burdens for producers endeavoring to take advantage of the increasing taste for wine in the region,' said Rocío Barrios Alvarado, Chair of the APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance, which administered its development...
The APEC Model Wine Export Certificate and its instructions are available at this link.
Next steps will be discussed during the next APEC Wine Regulatory Forum meeting in Ottawa, Canada in October."
Daily Wine News | November 19, 2015
For the full text of the article, please refer here.
"Non-tariff trade barriers cost Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies and businesses over $1 billion a year due to the complexity and inconsistencies of regulation, the APEC Wine Regulatory Forum has conservatively estimated.
Tony Battaglene, Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) strategy and international affairs general manager, said non-tariff barriers cost Australian wine exporters dearly and prevent others from looking at potential offshore markets as growth opportunities.
The forum held its first meeting in Australia last week with more than 80 regulators from APEC economies and it identified initiatives to help reduce the regulatory burden and stimulate a new era of wine trade across the Pacific-Rim."
Wine Business | November 16, 2015
For the full text of the article, please refer here.
"Pacific Rim government officials met this week in Adelaide, Australia to streamline import-export requirements and save grape growers and winemakers millions of dollars. More than 80 wine regulators and wine industry representatives from 17 Pacific Rim economies convened at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Wine Regulatory Forum's 2015 Technical Meeting to share good regulatory practices on wine certification, analysis and winemaking practices in the growing trade region.
The two-day international conference, hosted by the Winemakers Federation of Australia and the Australian government, focused on eliminating burdensome and duplicative regulations to reduce the costs of cross-border wine trade, stimulate demand and increase wine exports to the growing Asia Pacific region."
Decanter China | October 2, 2014
For the full text of the article, please refer here.
"Give people more chances to taste wine, says Li Demei
Chinese consumers are turned off by too much information on a winery’s history or winemaking techniques and want more opportunities to taste, according to expert professor Li Demei.
Speaking at a recent Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum on wine regulation held in Beijing, Li Demei said it was important to remember the value of tasting. He encouraged the wine trade to organise more events.
‘The Chinese consumers, as entry-level consumers, do not have the patience to listen to long introductions of winery history and too many technical details,’ Li told DecanterChina.com, following his keynote speech.
The recent government austerity measures in China have been blamed for the current difficult situation in the Chinese wine market. Imports of wines have fallen in the past 18 months.
However, professor Li pointed out that many consumers are still willing to buy wine. But, they do not know what to buy.
‘To promote wines to this group of people, we should find a quicker way for them to actually taste the wines.’
‘The consumers will feel lost and scared with too much detail [about] winemaking techniques, and even have no confidence in drinking wine,’ he added.
Helen Ponty of Bordeaux family-owned winery Vignobles Ponty agreed with Professor Li. ‘My main challenge when we do an event [in China] is to gauge the wine knowledge of the crowd,’ she said. ‘Most of the times we are talking to people who are looking for more “simple” information, and I always try to stay away from too much technicalities.’
However, Ponty also added that from her experience of past tasting events in China, she found that Chinese customers were interested in her family story."
The Drinks Business | September 18, 2014
For the full text of the article, please refer here.
"Pacific Wine Agreement Big Win for Australia
A meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Wine Regulatory Forum has agreed to establish common maximum residue limits for agricultural chemicals in wine, according to the ABC.
Tony Battaglene, the Winemakers Federation of Australia’s general manager of strategy and international affairs, says the new limits will mean massive savings for Australian winemakers, vineyards and exporters.
'It means that you can just produce one batch of wine that can be sold in any market in the world, so it’s tremendously exciting in that we have flexibility to produce wine according to one method that can go anywhere in the world,' said Battaglene.
'It will save millions of dollars, it will increase efficiencies and it will help the whole supply chain activity,' he said.
As it currently stands, every country in the region has its own rules pertaining to maximum residues in wines.
Some countries, like China for example, have zero tolerance for common vineyard sprays, such as the fungicide phosphorous acid which is used to combat downey mildew in wet years.
The details of the agreement are still being negotiated and could take two years to come into effect but it represents a positive step for the Australian wine industry as they look at increasing their share of key Asian markets."
APEC | January 24, 2014
For the full text of the article, please refer here.
"APEC Wine Regulatory Forum tackles growing barriers to wine trade
In a trendy corner of Beijing’s Chaoyang district, a crowd of professionals share a wine-tasting menu sampling Cabernets from Australia, Chile, New Zealand and the United States. These wine bars, a growing trend in Asia, are gaining ground in China. Chinese consumers increasingly want the quality and diversity of their wine-tasting experiences abroad, causing wine imports to skyrocket.
The value of the APEC wine trade has tripled
'The value of the APEC region wine trade has tripled, increasing from just USD 7 billion in 2000 to USD 23 billion in 2012,' said Tom LaFaille, Vice President and International Trade Counsel of the Wine Institute, an industry association in the United States.
In China alone, wine consumption has doubled twice in the last five years and the economy is expected to be the largest wine consumer by 2016.
'However, although the Pacific Rim region’s wine trade has increased steadily, so too have unnecessary trade barriers,' added Mr LaFaille.
The APEC Wine Regulatory Forum was formed in 2008 as part of the APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance to help eliminate some of these trade barriers for wine exporters. The Forum is focused on reducing the cost of cross-border wine trade to stimulate demand and sales, particularly for small and medium wine producers, who make up the bulk of the regional wine industry. Ultimately, minimizing these costs will lead to cheaper prices and more choices for wine consumers in the Asia-Pacific...
By striking a balance between regulating safe and truthful products with efficient and cost-effective administration, the APEC Wine Regulatory Forum is facilitating trade and boosting export sales of small and medium wine producers across the region. As more wine connoisseurs in the Asia-Pacific desire diverse and quality wines, the APEC Wine Regulatory Forum is making it easier for a savvy wine-taster in Beijing to enjoy a glass of Cabernet from small boutique vineyards in Margaret River, Colchagua, Marlborough, and Napa Valley."
Singapore (AFP) | January 24, 2014
For the full text of the article, please refer here.
"Asia Pacific wine trade loses $1 bn a year to red tape: APEC
Red tape is costing the Asia Pacific's wine industry $1.0 billion a year, APEC said Friday, as it vowed to simplify the procedures to take advantage of growing demand in the region.
A complex web of non-tariff barriers such as multiple export certificates and unnecessary testing is hampering the industry's growth, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping said in a statement."
Kane's Beverage News Daily Volume 7, No. 157 | September 22, 2011
"Asia-Pacific Wine Execs Meet to Smooth Trade
With some officials estimating that different and sometimes conflicting regulatory schemes result in unnecessary costs of about $1 billion a year, officials from the U.S., Australia, Chile, New Zealand and Peru, included delegations from China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam met yesterday in San Francisco to discuss ways to develop an open market and streamlined regulatory environment.
At the meeting's close, Julia Doherty, Senior Director at the U.S. Office of Trade Representative and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation workshop Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance chair, summed up the themes which emerged and suggested ways in which the governments and wine community might reduce barriers to trade including eliminating unnecessary export certificates, participating at the Codex Alimentarius Commission and World Wine Trade Group and developing a forward looking plan that involves increased information sharing on regulatory developments among APEC economies.
Robert P. (Bobby) Koch, President/CEO of Wine Institute,which represents more than 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses, said, 'This historic meeting brought wine regulators from key Pacific Rim markets together for the first time to focus on ways to reduce the time, cost and uncertainty of moving goods throughout the region.'"
Press Democrat.com (Santa Rosa) - Viticulture Briefs | September 25, 2011
For the full text of the article, please refer here.
"Delegates discuss wine trade in Pacific Rim Wine regulators from 18 Asia-Pacific governments met in Northern California this week to discuss building the wine trade in the Pacific Rim.
More than 100 officials gathered at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation workshop to discuss reducing impediments to trade. They also shared best practices on wine certification, analysis, winemaking practices and labeling.
The two-day meeting, sponsored by the United States, Australia, Chile, New Zealand and Peru, included delegations from China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam."
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