Import procedures for Georgian wines to Japan to be simplified
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Import procedures for Georgian wines to Japan will be simplified, announces the Georgian National Wine Agency.
Four Georgian laboratories have been added to the list of foreign laboratories registered in Japan by the decision of the Japanese government.
Japanese customs used to check and certify Georgian wines, which added additional costs and procedural difficulties for Georgian wine importer companies. Eventually, it reflected on the cost of Georgian wine”, announced the Wine Agency.
The National Wine Agency applied to the Embassy of Georgia in Japan to solve the problem. The embassy requested a list of laboratories from Georgia which would be appropriate to register with the Japanese side. Afterwards, the diplomatic service of Japan held a consultation with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in order to officially register the laboratories provided by the Georgian side in all relevant Japanese organisations and structures”, the agency said.
After the negotiations and the specification of technical details, Japan added the following laboratories from the labs supplied by the Embassy of Georgia to the list of official foreign laboratories: Wine Laboratory, Norma, MultiTest and Expertise +.
Japan is one of the strategic export markets of Georgian wine, where over 130,000 bottles of wine have been exported in the first six months of 2018, which is 200 per cent higher than the same period last year.
Sixteen Georgian wine companies participated in the international fair Wine and Gourmet Japan 2018 held from April 11-13 in the capital of Japan, Tokyo. A seminar and tasting of Georgian wine titled "Georgia – The Cradle of Wine” was held during the fair.
Ten Georgian wines are being showcased at the 43nd International Food and Beverage Exhibition (FOODEX JAPAN) in Japan – the largest annual food and beverage trade show in Asia.
An international wine competition judged exclusively by Japanese female wine specialists awarded prizes to seven Georgian wines this week.
The unique taste of Georgian wine has made a lasting impression in Japan last week, where 35 local wine producers participated at prestigious wine events.
The Russian market supervisory body Rospotrebnadzor is tightening control of alcoholic drinks imported from Georgia claiming that some products ‘do not meet the criteria’.
Singapore and South Korea hosted Georgian wine tasting events this week, which were organised by the Georgian National Wine Agency and its contractor company, Meiburg Wine Media.
A group of winemakers from Japan are visiting Georgia, exploring local wine culture and traditions in the country’s wine regions of Kakheti and Kartli.
Japan has decided to ease visa requirements for Georgian citizens to promote people to people connections and deepen relations between the two countries.
Georgia is ready to start negotiations with Japan on a free trade agreement, Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze announced at a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Japan Taro Kono yesterday.
Bakhtadze says the agreement would help Georgia, which already has free trade deals with the EU, EFTA and China, to better integrate into the global economy.
Japan’s only wine master Kenichi Ohashi is visiting Georgia with wine importers, sommeliers and a group of journalists in order to explore ways of increasing Georgian wine imports to Japan.
Sixteen Georgian wines are being showcased at Foodex Japan, an annual international food and beverage exhibition in Tokyo, the Georgian National Wine Agency said on Thursday.