UPS pumps up wine and spirits shipping services

Responding to an unquenchable thirst among worldwide consumers for wine, beer and spirits, express carrier UPS said it has recently expanded its global delivery services for liquor.    Atlanta, Ga.-based express carrier and parcel giant UPS has recently expanded its global service for shippers of wine, beer and spirits, the company said in a statement Monday.
   “UPS is helping wineries reach consumers living in 24 of the top 35 wine importing countries, and distilleries in 9 of the top 25 spirit importing countries,” the company said. “Depending on the destination, orders can arrive at the business or consumer’s home within 3 days. All alcohol shipments require an adult signature upon delivery.”
   International trade of wine, in particular, continues to grow and is expected to reach $380 billion in sales by 2022, according to Mordor Intelligence’s “Global Wine Market” report for 2017-2022. The biggest producing and exporting countries for wine include Italy, Spain, France, Chile, Australia, South Africa and the United States.
   Europe is the market leader in wine production and consumption. UPS will ship to 23 countries in Europe, including primary markets such as Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
   UPS said it now ships wine, beer and spirits to customers across 11 Asia-Pacific countries, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. In Malaysia, businesses can only import wine and beer.
   China is expected to surpass the United States as the world’s third-largest largest wine importer by 2020, UPS noted. In 2016, China imported $890 million worth of spirits from around the world.
   UPS is also shipping more wine to Mexico, Argentina and the Dominican Republic, and plans to ship increasing volumes of American beer to Mexico. In addition, the carrier manages the logistics for alcoholic beverage shipments from the United States to consumers in five Canadian provinces.