The slowdown in Italian wine exports shows no sign of reversing course.
New ISTAT figures, published recently and analyzed by WineNews — which also looked at how individual Italian regions are performing — show that Italian wine exports totaled €3.6 billion in value from January through June 2026, down 6.16% year-on-year, while volumes dropped 4% to 989.6 million liters.
Compared with the May reading (-6.86% in value, -5% in volume), the half-year numbers represent a small step up, but the underlying picture for Italian wine remains a challenging one.
Country-by-Country Breakdown
Once again, the United States is both Italy's top export destination and its weakest link: imports reached €849 million, down 14.1% (versus -15.4% in May), with volume at 167.7 million liters, a 6.8% decrease.
Germany held onto second place in value terms with €543.5 million in imports, a 6.7% decline that nonetheless represents a slight improvement on prior months; volumes came in at 222.4 million liters, down 5.1%. Third-ranked United Kingdom brought in €345.5 million, off 6.6%, with volumes of 110.9 million liters (-6%).
Beyond the top three, Canada was the leading market with €189.6 million (-4.1%), followed by Switzerland at €173.6 million (-10.9%), France at €155.3 million (-1.7%), and the Netherlands at €121.2 million (-3%). Belgium imports fell to €94.5 million (-11.4%), and Sweden also declined, to €95.5 million (-1.4%).
Russia, China and Brazil Keep Growing
Not every market is contracting. Russia continued its upward trajectory, with imports rising 15.7% to €87.4 million, even as monthly purchase volumes have been decelerating. In East Asia, China's imports grew to €40.3 million, up 19.8% year-on-year, while Japan edged down slightly to €85.2 million (-2.7%).
Brazil stood out among emerging markets, with first-half imports of €20.1 million marking an 8.1% gain over the same period in 2025 — although this was a softer result than what had been recorded in May.
Outlook: Waiting for the Second Half
The June data — and with it, the full first-half picture — points to gradual stabilization relative to April and May, yet exports are still running more than 6% below 2025 levels, a year already weighed down by tariffs and softening demand. Of Italy's principal wine markets, only Russia, China, and Brazil are currently in positive territory versus the first half of 2025, though each remains a fraction of the size of the top importing countries.
With wine standing as one of the pillars of Made in Italy agri-food exports, hopes now rest on the second half of 2026 delivering a more encouraging trend.
Source: VinoVistara