French wines and spirits lost market share around the world in 2013, according to new figures which show a drop in exports from the country.
Figures released by the Federation of Wine and Spirits Exporters (FEVS) show that while shipment volume of spirits out of France fell by 3.9% in 2013, sales value fell by just 1.1% to €11 billion as a result of continued success of Cognac overseas.
Overall, more than 50 million cases of spirits were exported from France last year, with Cognac shipping almost 13.5 million cases alone.
However, Cognac sales were not as high as in previous years, with a decline in volume of 3.3% and a drop in sales value of 1.1%.
'2013 result is a remarkable performance considering the current deteriorated economic environment,' said FEVS chairman Louis Fabrice Latour. 'However, these good results in 2013 should not hide the continuous loss of market shares in terms of volume in our main external markets.'
The FEVS has previously warned of pressure on export momentum from smaller harvests in some regions in recent years. In value terms, French wine exports were broadly flat in 2013, dipping by just 0.1% to €7.6 billion.
© 2014 - European Supermarket Magazine by Enda Dowling
