UPS can ship wine, beer and spirits to businesses and consumers to 10 destinations across Asia Pacific using its Express shipping services.
This broadens the number of alcohol shipment destinations across UPS’s global network that permit the import of the three types of alcohol, and UPS can now serve 24 of the top 35 wine importing countries, and nine of the top 25 spirit importing nations.
Orders can arrive at a retailer’s storefront or consumer’s home within three business days using one of the UPS Worldwide Express shipping services, and five business days using UPS Worldwide Expedited.
UPS can now ship to China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Macau, though only businesses can import wine and beer in Malaysia.
UPS Asia Pacific president, Ross McCullogh says: “Alcohol merchants and retailers, operators in the food and beverage sector, and consumers in the region can all benefit from a wider range of brands and price points to choose from, while continuing to receive their orders with the same speed, reliability, and traceability that UPS’s global transportation network provides.”
China is said to be the fifth-largest market for wine producers globally, and is expected to surpass the US as the world’s third largest wine importer by 2020.
The top six countries exporting alcohol to China include France, Australia, Chile, Spain, Italy and the USA, with the rising popularity of new distribution channels including e-marketplaces, particularly among the younger generation of China’s consumer market, stronger demand is expected for cross-border alcohol shipments.
UPS now ships to 39 wine importing countries and nine spirit importing countries, with 23 in Europe including Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK.