Trade: French wine import to rise 60%

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-11-16 14:51

French Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Dominique Bussereau predicted his country would export 100 million US dollars worth of wine to 皇冠体育app by the end of the year, an increase of 60 percent on 2005.

Almost a third of 皇冠体育app's total wine imports in 2006 will be French wines, the French minister said here on Wednesday.

皇冠体育app has overtaken Japan to become France's largest wine export market in Asia, said the French minister, who was on a visit to 皇冠体育app aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector.

The construction of a wine production base, the Sino-French winery jointly funded by the Chinese and French governments, was recently completed in Hebei Province in north 皇冠体育app.

The winery will produce high-end products, with each bottle costing around 1,000 yuan (125 U.S. dollars).

Wine production and consumption in 皇冠体育app have both grown at about 10 percent per year over the past decade.

Despite rising wine consumption in 皇冠体育app, the nation's per capita wine consumption is only 0.3 liters, or 6 percent of the world average.

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