By Angela F. 

The impacts of COVID-19 on Hong Kong’s wine imports and re-exports.

COVID-19對香港葡萄酒進口和轉口的影響

Throughout the years, Hong Kong's wine industry is supported by an abundance of experienced fine wine merchants with specialist knowledge and international wine trade experience.

Following the removal of all duty-related customs and administrative controls in February 2008, Hong Kong has developed into a wine trading and distribution centre for the Asia Pacific region, particularly for Mainland China with an  extension to every port in the 42 mainland Customs Districts since November 2017.  

多年來，香港的葡萄酒業有大量經驗豐富的，具有專業知識和國際葡萄酒貿易經驗的優質葡萄酒商人來支持。

自2008年2月取消所有與關稅有關的海關和行政管理措施後，香港已發展成為亞太地區（特別是中國大陸）的葡萄酒貿易和集散中心，從2017年11月擴展到42個內地海關地區的每個港口。

However, almost none of the industries could be exempt from being affected by the pandemic. Hong Kong’s wine imports slumped by nearly a quarter in value during the first nine months of 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic and border closures caused more pain for the sector.  

遺憾地，幾乎所有行業都不能免於受到疫情的影響。2020年的前9個月，香港的葡萄酒進口量下降了近四分之一，而全球疫情和邊境關閉令到葡萄酒行業雪上加霜。

According to data from the Hong Kong government, wine imports dropped by 23.2% in value to HK$5.1bn, while its volume nosedived to 35.49m litres, a year on year decline of 20.9%.  

根據香港政府的數據，葡萄酒進口額下降了23.2％，為51億港元，而葡萄酒的進口量為3549萬升，同比下降了20.9％。

The border closures across countries also led to dramatic impact on wine re-exports since the beginning of the pandemic. Wine re-exports between January and September 2020 amounted to a mere HK$600m, about 11% of Hong Kong’s total import value. This is a further drop from 2019’s 17.1% and the peak of 44% in 2015.  

多國邊境關閉令轉出口亦同樣受到阻礙，2020年1月至2020年9月，葡萄酒再出口總額僅為6億港元，約佔香港進口總值的11％。這比2019年的17.1％和2015年的峰值44％進一步下降。

Hong Kong’s declining re-export business is also a reflection of weakening demand from mainland China and other Asia countries, due to the pandemic, a slower economy and trade wars.

香港的轉口業務下降也反映了中國大陸及其他亞洲地區需求減弱，

最大原因莫過於因為全球疫情，經濟放緩和貿易戰。