The main export markets remain France (€53.4 million), the United States (€50.1 million), and Brazil (€38.9 million). In terms of volume, France holds the lead (17.5 million liters), followed by Spain (16.4 million liters) and the Portuguese West African former colony Angola (15.3 million liters).
According to the association, "this reflects the pressure from stockpiles felt in the global wine sector." Especially in markets where demand for cheap wine is high, such as in certain parts of Asia, Portuguese wine is sold at increasingly lower prices, which contributes to the economic pressure on producers.
As a result, the Portuguese wine sector still faces significant challenges that endanger the future of winegrowers. The chairman of the Portuguese wine organization called the export volume growth important because it occurs despite the wine sector struggling with an oversupply of stock in wineries. This is particularly true in the Douro region, which is world-renowned for its port wines.
In recent years, wine production has risen by a few percent each year, while demand has stagnated or even decreased, both within Portugal and internationally. Furthermore, climate change plays an important role. Unpredictable weather conditions have led to both quantitative and qualitative losses in the grape harvest.
This crisis not only has economic consequences but also threatens to cause a social catastrophe, especially in traditional wine regions such as the Douro. Winegrowers fear for the survival of their businesses, and if the situation does not improve, this could lead to unemployment and migration from rural areas to cities, which in turn threatens the social structure of these regions.
The Portuguese government and wine sector are urgently seeking solutions to alleviate this crisis. One of the proposed measures is to stimulate exports to new markets, especially outside Europe.