If everything goes according to plan world wine trade statistics is set to become more reliable. Bag-in-box wine will no longer be considered as bulk wine.
One of the best sources of wine trade statistics is the OIV (Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin) who collects data from various sources including customs organisations.
One of the big flaws in these numbers is that all wine that is sold in containers of 2 litres or bigger is considered bulk wine. This used not to be a big problem but as bag-in-box sales have increased across the world the so-called “bulk wine” statistics have become unreliable. They include bag-in-box, which is not bulk.
This is now set to change. OIV has proposed to the World Customs Organisation (OMD / WCO) to change the definition so that containers up to 10 litres will be excluded from the bulk category.
In many countries bag-in-box packaging is popular in sizes up to 10 litres.
This has been agreed to by the relevant OMD committee. The only step that remains is that it must get final approval by the OMD Council.
Trade in bulk wine is going up, as the chart below shows, but in the future we will have a more accurate estimation of how much it is increasing.
I may add that this is a suggestion that we have put forward several times, most recently here: World trade in wine 2000-2012. Should we perhaps celebrate that the OIV and the OMD has listened to our arguments?
