Russia’s EU Wine Imports Rise to €60.9 Million as Italy Leads July Shipments
Russia imported €60.9 million of wine from the European Union in July, up 1.6 times from June and 8% year on year. Italy supplied almost half of the total, while Latvia posted record shipments.
EU shipments reach their highest level since November
Russia increased wine imports from European Union countries by 1.6 times in July compared with the previous month, according to reporting by Infox, which cited RIA Novosti and Eurostat data. The value of shipments reached €60.9 million, or about 5.9 billion rubles. That was the highest monthly result since November and 8% above the level recorded in the same period a year earlier.
The figures indicate renewed momentum in European wine deliveries to the Russian market after a weaker June. Russia ranked sixth among buyers of EU wine in July. The data are reported in value terms and do not provide shipment volumes, product categories or average prices, so the increase cannot be attributed solely to higher physical supply. Changes in prices and the mix of wines could also have influenced the total.
Italy accounts for almost half of the total
Italy remained the leading European supplier. Its monthly wine exports to Russia rose 1.9 times and increased 38% year on year to €29.9 million, equivalent to approximately 2.9 billion rubles. This was Italy’s highest result since October. Italian shipments represented close to half of Russia’s reported EU wine imports during the month, reinforcing the country’s central position among European exporters serving the Russian market.
Latvia ranked second and recorded wine exports worth €11.2 million, or 1.08 billion rubles. The result was 50% higher than in June and 13% above the year-earlier level, setting a record for Latvian shipments. The statistics do not distinguish between wine produced in Latvia and products dispatched through the country, but the sharp increase shows Latvia’s growing role in the supply routes covered by the EU data.
Performance diverges among other suppliers
Poland shipped €4.9 million of wine to Russia, approximately 476.7 million rubles. Its exports increased 33% from the previous month but remained 39% below July of the previous year. France supplied almost €4.1 million, a monthly increase of 3%, while German shipments rose 36% to €3.3 million. Together with Italy and Latvia, these countries formed the five largest EU suppliers in the reported period.
The supplier results show that the July recovery was uneven. Italy combined strong monthly growth with a 38% annual increase, and Latvia advanced on both comparisons. Poland recovered from June but remained substantially below its year-earlier value, while France posted only modest monthly growth. The increase in European shipments also coincided with weaker recent figures for another major supplier: Russia’s imports of Georgian wine fell 35.9% year on year in May to $10.9 million, or 799 million rubles. Despite that decline, Russia remained the largest buyer of Georgian wine. For producers, distributors and importers, the figures point to a Russian market where European supply regained ground in July while sourcing trends continued to vary significantly by country.
