NEWS
WHISKY OVERTOOK BRANDY AS CHINA’S TOP IMPORTED SPIRIT BY VOLUME
By Staff Reporter
19-3-2026
Source: Unsplash
Whisky has overtaken brandy to become China’s top imported spirit by volume in 2025, ending brandy’s multi-decade dominance, official customs data confirmed.
According to China’s General Administration of Customs full-year 2025 figures, whisky imports reached 35.84 million litres, up 22.78 percent year-on-year.
In contrast, brandy imports plummeted to 21.51 million litres, a steep drop of 38.57 percent from 2024.
In value terms, however, the shift remains partial: whisky imports stood at RMB 3.1 billion (USD446 million) in 2025, while brandy still led at RMB 5b (USD720m).
Yet brandy’s import value shrank 41.64 percent year-on-year, falling to just 42.5 percent of its 2021 peak, while whisky held steady with a slight 1.31 percent dip in value despite strong volume growth, reflecting a tilt toward more accessible pricing and mainstream consumption.
China started to apply anti-dumping measures on EU brandies in late 2024, raising trade barriers and pushed up retail prices, dampening demand for long-standing leading Cognac brands.
Meanwhile, whisky benefited from favourable tariff adjustments—China halved its whisky import duty from 10 to 5 percent in late 2025, supporting wider distribution and affordability.
Consumer behaviour has also reshaped the category. Younger drinkers and urban professionals increasingly favour whisky for its versatility in cocktails, diverse flavour profiles, and association with modern social settings.
Scotch whisky remains the largest segment by supply, accounting for over 70 percent of imported whisky, followed by American, Japanese, and Canadian expressions.
Brandy, long tied to traditional gifting and formal banqueting, has lost share as casual drinking and at-home consumption rise.
Global spirits groups have accelerated their whisky-focused investments in China, expanding single-malt portfolios, launching entry-level expressions, and boosting e-commerce and nightlife channel presence.
While brandy retains leadership in value and remains strong in high-end gifting, its volume decline shows little sign of reversing in the near term.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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