(Reuters) – Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates said on Monday it is well placed to rebuild its business in China including re-building distribution for the Penfolds Australian entry-level luxury portfolios, should tariffs of the country’s wine be removed.
The Australian government, which is currently rebuilding its economic relations with Asia’s largest economy, had said that a review of tariffs on Australian wine into China will commence and is expected to take up to five months.
“Should tariffs be removed, these measures will be implemented sustainably and with the aim of growing the business in China,” the company said in a statement.
Some of the measures for Treasury Wines to build its China business include a re-allocation of a portion of Penfolds Luxury from other global markets back to China and an increased investment in further sales and marketing resources within the country.
In February 2021, the company had planned a major overhaul of its business as it came under pressure from tariffs imposed by China on Australian wine, which including the likely sale of low priority brands and other assets.
($1 = 1.5835 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Diane Craft)