What is wine importing compliance?
Compliance, in relation to wine importing, refers to regulations, laws, and requirements that govern the importation of wine into a particular country.
Compliance measures are there to make sure imported wines meet specific standards and follow the legal and regulatory guidelines of the importing country. Areas of compliance typically include documentation , packaging, taxes, licensing and labeling. For example, containers of all imported wines are required to be marked, branded, and labelled (for example, with a country of origin statement) in compliance with US CBP regulations.
In the UK, there are requirements that importers who sell and/or label wine must meet. The wine imported into the UK, for example, must be labelled with the address of the importer or manufacturer, or both.
What are the aspects of compliance?
The aspects of compliance you should be aware of include:
- Labeling requirements
- Packaging standards
- Health and safety regulations
- Taxation and duties
- Licensing
- Documentation
What are the key regulatory bodies for wine imports?
The regulatory bodies involved in wine importing vary between countries, which means you may need to be familiar with many organizations if you import wine to multiple countries.
For example, there are several regulations and compliance requirements for importing wine into the United States. Wine importers must obtain a licence and product approvals from the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), register with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and set up an account with the US Customs and Border Protection. In addition to the compliance rules at the US national level, wine imports are also subject to regulations at the US state and municipality level too.
In China, importers are required to register as an overseas manufacturer on GACC. This means it is essential to research which rules apply to your shipment.
Compliance requirements
Complying with local, national, and international regulations can help your business avoid penalties, delays, and legal issues when importing wine. The different compliance requirements include:
- Labeling: wine labels must contain certain information, such as the country of origin, alcoholic degree, bottle content, producer or even the importer to the market, which often varies between import countries. For example, imports to China need a translation of the wine label, as well as a Chinese label.
- Packaging standards: packing rules cover everything from bottle sizes to standard pallet sizes to phytosanitary measures such as ISPM 15 compliant pallets, and these vary between countries.
- Health and safety regulations: this includes regulations relating to hazardous chemicals, as well as phytosanitary and biosecurity measures, set out by the carrier and import country.
- Licensing: you will often need a licence to import wine to a specific country. For example, in the US you need to register as an alcohol dealer with the FDA and submit an alcohol dealer registration form.
- Permits: Permits are also a common compliance and regulations requirement. For example, anyone in the business of importing distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages into the United States must apply for a Federal Basic Importer’s Permit.
- Documentation: including an import licence, shipping documents such as a Sea Waybill, your commercial invoice, packing list and more. The documentation you will need to submit will be different depending on the country you are importing into. For example, EU wine imports require you to submit a VI-1 document, which certifies that the wine complies with EU regulations. You can read more about the shipping documents you will need here.
- Duties, tariffs and taxes: laws vary between countries, and so do the taxes and other charges you are liable for as a wine importer. Import or customs duties are fees charged on almost every cross-border shipment of products, and vary based on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes and their destination. Find out about the difference between taxes, duties and tariffs in our article here.
Compliance solutions
Importers can help overcome these common problems by staying up-to-date with regulatory changes. The most direct and effective way to solve compliance challenges, however, is to work with experienced freight forwarders who specialize in moving wine and other beverages, such as Hillebrand Gori.
Get expert local insight into compliance and regulations for your shipments
Getting to grips with the variation in the compliance and regulations governing wine imports worldwide can be daunting. But as a wine importer, you should put compliance at the center of your operations. Staying informed about local regulations and any changes to them is far easier when you work alongside a specialist beverage freight forwarder. If you are struggling to access or understand local regulations, contact your local Hillebrand Gori office for advice from teams with a global network of wine importing expertise.
Published 13th July 2023, updated 27th November 2023
