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The USDA Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) Hong Kong has partnered with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to offer U.S. wine and distilled spirits companies and their local representatives special pricing on exhibition space as part of a USA Pavilion at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair from November 6 to 8, 2025.

On February 13, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi issued a joint statement announcing lower tariffs on bourbon whiskey.

In 2023, Hong Kong was the 17th-largest market for U.S. agricultural products globally. That same year, the United States exported $1.5 billion of agricultural products and was the third-largest supplier of consumer-oriented food products to Hong Kong after China and Australia.

In 2023, Hong Kong was the world’s nineth largest spirits importer. The city’s global imports surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 30 percent and reached a new record valued of $779 million. Last year, domestic consumption grew significantly as both on-trade and off-trade sales registered remarkable growth.

India’s total alcoholic beverage sector is the world’s third largest, with yearly sales of $44 billion according to Euromonitor. Despite India’s high import tariff structure, lack of uniformity in state excise rates, state specific regulations, and limited opportunities for the marketing of alcoholic beverages, the sector continues to witness significant growth that is set to expand to $55 billion by 2027.

The Hong Kong market has developed into a dynamic wine export destination since the abolishment of wine tariffs in 2008. The slow recovery of the global economy dampened the city’s global imports of wine in 2023.

This GAIN-INDIA report is an addendum to FAS India's (New Delhi, Mumbai) (Post) GAIN-INDIA | IN2024-0012 | India’s Wine Product Labeling Requirements – Update 2024. Post sought out additional regulatory review, and has obtained a revised confirmation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that its Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Regulations now do not require an expiry date for wine products.

FAS India (New Delhi, Mumbai) (Post) is updating the earlier GAIN-INDIA | IN2020-0195 | FSSAI Publishes Regulations for Alcoholic Beverages report.

On August 21, 2023, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) First Amendment Regulations 2023 in the Gazette of India (Notification No. STD/SP-21/T(Alcohol-4).

On June 8, 2023, the Government of India’s (GOI) Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) invited World Trade Organization (WTO) members to provide comments on draft amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Amendment Regulations 2023.

In 2022, Hong Kong was the world’s tenth largest spirits importer, with global imports recovering 7 percent year-on-year and valued at $502 million. From 2020-2021, Hong Kong’s imports and domestic sales of spirits were seriously hampered under the COVID-19 pandemic, as most restaurants, pubs, and bars were closed due to stringent dining, social distancing, and travel restrictions.

Hong Kong is an open market offering good opportunities for U.S. beer exporters. Over the last two years, both beer imports and domestic sales have been stable despite the pandemic. In 2021, Hong Kong’s global beer imports held steady from the previous year at $115 million, making the city the fourteenth largest beer import market in the world. Domestic beer sales recovered 9 percent from 2020 at $732 million.