Sake Export Market Overview 2020

Summary of the sake export statistics in 2020:

• The total exports of Japanese alcohol were 71,091 million JPY (CAGR 14.8 %) in 2020.

• The biggest categories are Japanese whiskey and sake.

• The Japanese sake exports almost tripled from 2010 to 2020 with an annual export value of 24,141 million JPY (CAGR 11%).

• The top 3 export markets for Japanese sake are Hong Kong, China, and the USA (per value).

• In 2020 the average export value per liter exceeded for the first time 1000 JPY with an average of 1109 JPY per liter exported Japanese sake.

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Japanese Alcohol Exports

How much Japanese alcohol is exported?

Before going into detail about the export market of Japanese sake, in recent years the export and import of Japanese alcoholic beverages, in general, has seen a drastic increase. The export data of the National Tax Agency of Japan shows that the Japanese alcohol exports have more than tripled since 2010 from 17,857 million JPY to 71,030 million JPY (CAGR 14.81 %). One driver is the increasing popularity of Japanese food culture with the spread of Japanese restaurants across the globe.

What are the main Japanese alcohols being exported?

Ten years ago Japanese sake was the biggest export category. Now, Japanese whiskey has caught up to Japanese sake and overcome Japanese sake as the number one export category. In recent years especially whiskey and liqueurs have registered significant growth in export value. In 2020, whiskey and liqueurs recorded significant growth in export value by category, up 39.4% and 33.9%, respectively, compared to the previous year. Sake and wine also saw increases over the previous year.

Over the last decade, the trend has been the categories of Japanese whiskey, Japanese gin, and Japanese liquors (Yuzu Sake, Plum Sake, etc.). They significantly contributed to the steady growth of the alcohol export from Japan.

Japanese Sake Exports

Japanese sake as the national drink of Japan (日本酒 reads Nihonshu, which means literally Japan’s sake) is a growing alcoholic beverage category abroad.

So how much Japanese sake is exported?

In total 22,000kl over 24,141 million JPY worth of Japanese Sake was exported abroad in 2020. This is more than double from 2010. Most of the growth comes from sake export to Hong Kong, Singapore, and China.

How big is the Japanese sake export market compared to the overall sake market?

The total exported volume of 22,000kl sake in 2020 relates to roughly 5% of the overall sake market. The export ratio of Japanese sake has increased rapidly over the last few years. In 2013 only 2.7% of the sake was exported abroad.

What are the biggest export markets for Japanese sake?

With a long history of Japanese sake in the US, the US was the biggest export market for Japanese sake for decades. In 2020 Hong Kong took over and became the biggest exporting market by value, followed by China. 

Taiwan is the biggest export market for Japanese sake by volume, but the market is still dominated by cheaper sake. Markets like Hong Kong and Singapore value premium sake and the value per liter of exported sake is high. On average 1 liter of exported Japanese sake now trades over 1,109 JPY. A decade ago the average price per liter was only at 610 JPY, indicating that the demand for premium sake products increased.

The top 3 export markets Hong Kong, China, and the USA make up over 70% of the whole Japanese sake export activities (per value). Interestingly, all of the European Union countries only contribute 3.8% to the Japanese sake export market.

What country does export the most expensive Japanese sake?

The most expensive Japanese sake is being exported to Macau with over 4,067 JPY/liter, followed by Asian hubs of Hong Kong and Singapore. This is almost four times more than the average price per liter of 1,109 JPY. On the other end, Japanese sake that is exported into the EU trades only at 632 JPY/liter, showing that still most of the sake addressed to the EU fall in the low-end price category. Inexpensive wines and a matured beer-drinking culture limit the acceptance of more expensive Japanese premium sake.

Is Japanese sake being imported to Japan?

Interestingly, the answer is yes. Japanese sake is being imported into Japan from countries with larger sake brewery facilities like the USA or Australia. According to the Japan Wines and Spirits Importers Association, in 2020 55,421 liters with a value of over 18,876,000 JPY were imported to Japan. Compared to sake exports from Japan, this is just less than 0.01%.

Conclusion

Japanese sake is a growing alcoholic beverage category internationally and will continue to grow over the upcoming years. As consumer awareness grows, the trend points towards more expensive premium sake. The average price per liter of sake has been increasing steadily to reach over 1,109 JPY.

The 3 top markets (Hong Kong, China, and the USA) make up for over 70% of the sake exports with an existing distribution network. To most other markets only a small portion of Japanese sake is being exported. Markets like the European Union countries are still small Japanese sake export markets and show a lot of opportunities in the upcoming years, as the markets open up to Japanese sake and are continuously maturing.

If you are looking to expand your sake product portfolio, get in touch with us.