Agri-Food Trade Policy

International Trade in Wine

World Wine Trade Group

World Wine Trade Group Annual Meeting: Kelowna 2008

Canada is a member of the World Wine Trade Group (WWTG). Other members of the WWTG include Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, United States and South Africa.

The WWTG was established in 1998 by a group of like-minded wine producing countries with the objective of facilitating international trade in wine. The group brings together representatives from both industry, including importers and government in a unique forum to discuss a wide range of wine trade and regulatory related issues and to negotiate innovative agreements to facilitate the international trade in wine. Together, the group's membership accounts for nearly a quarter of global wine exports.

Although the WWTG was only established in 1998, it has already successfully negotiated and signed two agreements: the first in December 2001 (Toronto, Canada) called the Mutual Acceptance Agreement on Oenological Practices (MAA), and the second in January 2007 (Canberra, Australia) called the *Agreement on Requirements for Wine Labelling.

The MAA facilitates trade among member countries by acknowledging differences in Oenological Practices between member countries, but despite this allows wine to be traded among signatory countries' market. The MAA does not limit our rights and obligations entered into under the World Trade Organizations (WTO). The MAA has been ratified by all member countries and has a full treaty status.

The objective of the Wine Labelling agreements is the same as that of the MAA-to facilitate trade. Through the Labelling Agreement, mandatory information (country of origin, product name, net and alcohol contents) are allowed to be displayed anywhere on the wine bottle provided they are presented in a single field of vision.

The group is now focussing on increasing the number of participants in these agreements and is preparing for further negotiations on wine labelling issues.

*PDF format, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader

Related Links:

• World Wine Trade Group (Industry Website)
• WWTG Depository website
• *WWTG Press Release

For more information about the WWTG, Contact:

Gary Koestler
Director, Multilateral Technical Trade Issues
International Trade Policy Directorate
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
613 759-7713

Or

Kathryn McKinley
Deputy Director
Multilateral Technical Trade Issues
International Trade Policy Directorate
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
613 715-5258