Cognac exports continued to go from strength to strength in the past year with double-digit value and volume growth, boosted by a return to growth for the European market driven by the UK and Germany.
Total value sales increased 15.2% on volume up 10.2%, with nearly 190.2 million bottles exported, taking revenue to €3bn, according to figures released today by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC).
The figures, which marked the third consecutive year of growth and took exports to their highest levels to date, reflected growth in all markets, said the BNIC.
Shipments to Europe were back in growth, it said, with an increase of 10.1% in volume and 8.1% in value. Total export figures for Europe reached more than 42.1 million bottles, it said.
The positive results were directly related to the rise in exports to traditional markets, particularly the United Kingdom and Germany (3.6 % and 22.2% volume growth respectively), it said, adding a revived interest in Russia and the Baltic had also boosted exports.
The sector was further strengthening its position in NAFTA, with 82.1 million bottles exported throughout the year, an increase of 9.3% in volume and 13.5% in value. Historic market, the US, drove this with 78.7 million bottles shipped to the States over the course of the year.
Over the same period, 53.7 million bottles were shipped to the Far East – an increase of 19.4% in value and 10.4% in volume, with China principally responsible - it exported 22.6 million bottles.
New regions represented more than 6.5% of global export volumes with nearly 12.3 million bottles for the period, according to the data.