The ancient winemaking country of Georgia exported around 31.5 million bottles of wines worth about US$70.5 million to 44 countries in the first six months of the year, representing a 59% increase in volume and a 51% jump in value compared with the same period last year.

Exports to China grew by 104%, according to figures released by Georgia’s National Wine Agency, with the country shipping some 3.8m bottles to China.

China and Georgia signed a Free Trade Agreement in May, which will gradually see the removal all import tariff on Gerogian wines to China. Currently Georgia ranks as China’s 12th biggest bottled wine importing country.

Its biggest export destination is still Russia, which imported 19.3 million bottles from January to June, followed by 2.9 million bottles for Ukraine, 1.2 million bottles for Polland and 1.1 million for Kazakhstan.

Its wine exports to France grew by 457%, albeit from a smaller base, to more than 95,000 bottles, while its exports to Israel jumped by 150% to 105,710 bottles over the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the country exported about 6.8 million bottles of brandy abroad to 17 countries, a 85% increase in volume.

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