Wine industry

China will lower its tariff on imported wine from Australia year by year and finally levy none in 2019, according to the FTA between China and Australia.

The country imported $182 million worth of wine from Australia in the first nine months of this year under the current tariff rate of 14 to 30 percent, making Australia China's second largest partner country, according to statistics of the General Administration of Customs of China.

For China's importers, the Sino-Australian FTA has brought "confidence", according to Guo Haibing, general manager of Shandong Smart International Consulting Company, which sells Australian wine.

This may later result in a change in market share of Australian wine in China, Guo added.

Vineyardsat the National Wine Center in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia on Dec 29, 2007. [Photo/IC]