Australian wine industry must plan for shipping disruptions

Industry representative bodies Australian Wine and Grape and Wine Industry Suppliers Australia (WISA) are encouraging those in the wine and grape industries to think carefully about shipping. Since wine is reliant on sea-freight, the industry is facing disruptions and increased costs coming about with changing supply chain and shipping conditions.

These disruptions have the potential for widespread impact on the wine industry, and not just in terms of manufacturers exporting their wine. Suppliers of goods for wine producers will likely be impacted by shipping changes too, meaning that they will be unable to supply their goods at the same speed and cost as growers and winemakers are used to.

Early planning and collaboration are being suggested as the best way to counter these changing conditions, which have the potential to pose a substantial risk to the 2022 vintage if not accounted for. Delays are to be expected throughout the supply chain that could in turn spiral into further problems, so preventing kinks through planning and discussions can hopefully alleviate some of the issues introduced by changes in freight and shipping conditions.

“It’s never been more important for grape growers and winemakers to be talking to their suppliers as early as possible ahead of the coming vintage,” said Shirley Fraser, Executive Officer of WISA.

“We want to make sure all businesses understand how major this impact will be so that we can start working together to manage the potential problems ahead of us. In preparing for next vintage, businesses cannot rely on taking the usual just-in-time approach to securing the inputs they usually rely on.”

A free online event will be hosted live by Australian Grape and Wine on 4 November that will outline these issues as well as the impacts Chinese tariffs on Australian wines. Register for the event here.

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