Japan is the eigth customer of French wines and spirits, with a turnover above €550 million in 2018. Wines represent 90% of these exports.
It is a market that is considered as mature, where all categories of age drink wine.
For a long time, France has been the first supplier but the democratisation of the demand brought new competitors, in particular on wines offering an attractive quality/price ratio. Chile, supported by a free trade agreement, very strongly and quickly developed, by positioning on entry-level model.
The economic partnership agreement signed between the European Union and Japan should foster wine exports, by allowing the removal of customs on the 1st of February 2019