Paths and Methods for Foreign Enterprises' Fermented Wines, Distilled Spirits, Compound Wines and Sparkling Wines to Enter China: A Differentiated Compliance Guide and Operation Strategy

China is a core global consumer market for alcoholic beverages. In 2024, the scale of China's alcoholic beverage market exceeded 8.2 trillion yuan, of which the import alcoholic beverage market reached 198 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.4%. Imported alcoholic beverages mainly cover four categories: fermented wines (including wine, beer, fruit wine, etc., excluding sparkling wine), distilled spirits (whiskey, brandy, vodka, etc.), compound wines (prepared by adding auxiliary materials to fermented wine/distilled spirits as the base wine, such as liqueur, pre-mixed cocktails), and sparkling wines (including champagne, prosecco, etc., individually classified due to special craftsmanship and fresh-keeping requirements). The 2024 import data of sub-categories shows: fermented wines with an import value of 102 billion yuan (accounting for 51.5%), distilled spirits 91 billion yuan (45.9%), sparkling wines 3.8 billion yuan (1.9%), and compound wines 1.2 billion yuan (0.6%); the core importing countries are France and Italy (for fermented wines and sparkling wines), Scotland, France and Japan (for distilled spirits), and Germany and the United States (for compound wines).

Foreign enterprises importing the four types of alcoholic beverages into China must strictly comply with general regulations such as the Food Safety Law, the Measures for the Administration of Food Safety for Import and Export, and the National Food Safety Standard General Rules for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GB 7718), while also adapting to category-specific standards (such as GB 27588 for fermented wines, GB 2758 for distilled spirits, GB 27585 for sparkling wines, and GB 2757 for compound wines), and breaking through differentiated barriers such as access qualifications, label compliance, quarantine and inspection, consumption tax collection and administration, and cold chain fresh-keeping. This report focuses on dissecting the core paths, category-specific requirements and details for the four types of alcoholic beverages to enter China, clarifying official policy inquiry channels, elaborating on public and private domain market operation strategies, and illustrating the key value of cooperating with chinaentryhub.com China Market Access Service Center in solving differentiated compliance challenges and improving the efficiency of entering China.

I. Core Characteristics of the Four Types of Alcoholic Beverages and Core Differentiated Requirements for Entry into China

Due to differences in brewing processes, physical and chemical properties, and fresh-keeping needs, the four types of alcoholic beverages have significant differences in compliance priorities, transportation requirements, and label specifications for entering China, which are the basic prerequisites that foreign enterprises must first clarify.

Category	Core Characteristics	Core Differentiated Requirements for Entry into China	Key Attention to Details
Fermented wines (wine, beer, fruit wine, etc.)	Low alcohol content (usually ≤15%vol), prone to deterioration due to temperature and light, requiring cold chain fresh-keeping	1. Overseas production enterprises must complete registration with the General Administration of Customs; 2. Whole-process cold chain transportation (10-15℃ for wine, 0-5℃ for beer) and retention of temperature records; 3. Labels must indicate shelf life and storage conditions	If wine is marked with "production area" or "vintage", official certification materials must be provided; fruit wine must clearly indicate the proportion of fruit raw materials
Distilled spirits (whiskey, brandy, vodka, etc.)	High alcohol content (usually ≥40%vol), easy to store, no cold chain required, and the focus of transportation protection is anti-damage	1. Must comply with GB 8951 production hygiene standards; 2. Strict collection and administration of consumption tax (20% + 0.5 yuan/500 milliliters); 3. The font size of warning words on labels must meet the standards	If whiskey is marked with "aging period", certification of distillation and oak barrel storage must be provided; imported vodka must be tested for methanol content (limit ≤0.6g/L)
Compound wines (liqueur, pre-mixed cocktails, etc.)	Taking fermented wine/distilled spirits as the base wine, adding sugar, fruit juice, essence and other auxiliary materials, with complex components, some requiring cold chain	1. Must clearly indicate the type of base wine and the proportion of auxiliary materials added; 2. The use of food additives must comply with GB 2760 standards; 3. Pre-mixed cocktails require whole-process cold chain (0-10℃)	Adding non-edible raw materials is prohibited; if claiming "functional" (such as low-sugar, non-alcoholic), test reports must be provided as evidence
Sparkling wines (champagne, prosecco, etc.)	Containing carbon dioxide, prone to bottle explosion due to pressure and temperature, requiring special shockproof packaging, and strict cold chain requirements	1. Must test carbon dioxide content (≥2.0g/L); 2. Transportation temperature controlled at 8-12℃ to avoid severe vibration; 3. Labels must indicate the category of "sparkling wine" and pressure value	Champagne must be produced in the Champagne region of France; otherwise, the word "champagne" cannot be marked; packaging must use shockproof and buffer materials, and the transportation stacking height is limited

II. Core Paths and Differentiated Practical Specifications for the Four Types of Alcoholic Beverages to Enter China

The core paths for the four types of alcoholic beverages to enter China all include general trade import, joint venture/wholly-owned construction of production bases, and cross-border e-commerce direct supply. However, due to differences in category characteristics, the adaptability and practical details of each path are significantly different, requiring precise matching and selection.

(I) General Trade Import: Mainstream Bulk Path, Suitable for Large-Scale Entry of All Categories

General trade import is the mainstream way for the four types of alcoholic beverages to enter China, especially suitable for standardized bulk products (such as French Bordeaux wine, Scottish whiskey, German beer) and high-end limited editions (such as French champagne, Japanese whiskey). The advantages of this path are wide market coverage and high circulation efficiency, but it is necessary to complete differentiated compliance processes according to the characteristics of each category.

1. General Practical Process

• Preliminary Access Verification: Confirm that the overseas production enterprise has completed registration with the General Administration of Customs, the domestic importer has completed filing and obtained a food business license; verify that the product meets the requirements of the corresponding category's national standards.

• Document and Label Preparation: Prepare complete documents such as health certificate, certificate of origin, ingredient list, and test report; labels must comply with GB 7718 and category-specific requirements.

• Transportation and Warehousing: Implement differentiated cold chain/protective measures according to category characteristics.

• Customs Clearance and Inspection: After the customs completes document review, label verification, sampling inspection, and tax declaration, the Inspection and Quarantine Certificate for Inbound Goods will be issued before the goods can circulate in the market.

2. Category-Specific Practical Details

• Fermented wines: Wine must additionally provide production area/vintage certification; beer must be tested for total bacterial count (limit ≤50CFU/mL); whole-process cold chain transportation is required, and temperature records must cover the entire chain of "overseas warehouse - transportation - domestic warehouse" for customs inspection.

• Distilled spirits: Whiskey must provide oak barrel aging records; consumption tax declaration must distinguish between "distilled spirits" and "compound wines" (the latter has a lower tax rate) to avoid misdeclaration; transportation uses anti-collision packaging to avoid bottle damage.

• Compound wines: Must provide base wine source certification and auxiliary material proportion test reports; pre-mixed cocktails require whole-process cold chain, and labels must indicate "refrigerate after opening" and shelf life after opening; food additives must be checked one by one to meet the limits of GB 2760.

• Sparkling wines: Must test carbon dioxide pressure (≥2.0MPa at 20℃); transportation uses shockproof and buffer packaging, with stacking height not exceeding 3 layers; labels must clearly indicate "sparkling wine", and products not from the Champagne region are prohibited from marking the word "champagne".

3. Case and Data Support

Case 1 (Sparkling Wine): French champagne brand Moët & Chandon entered China through general trade import, completed overseas enterprise registration in advance, strictly marked "Champagne region" and pressure value on labels, and used customized shockproof cold chain boxes for transportation. In 2024, its sales in China reached 420 million yuan, accounting for 35% of China's imported sparkling wine market share. Case 2 (Compound Wine): Japanese Suntory's pre-mixed cocktail "Horoyoi" entered China through general trade import, with whole-process 0-8℃ cold chain transportation, and labels indicating the type of base wine (distilled spirits) and fruit juice addition proportion. In 2024, its sales in China reached 180 million yuan. Data shows that in 2024, the proportion of general trade import for the four types of alcoholic beverages all exceeded 85%: 90% for fermented wines, 89% for distilled spirits, 87% for sparkling wines, and 86% for compound wines; among them, the import value of high-end alcoholic beverages (unit price ≥500 yuan/bottle) increased by 13.2% year-on-year, making it the core path for high-end alcoholic beverages to enter China.

4. Cooperative Empowerment Value

chinaentryhub.com can provide category-specific compliance counseling: for fermented wines/sparkling wines, assist in designing full-chain cold chain solutions, connect with compliant cold chain logistics enterprises, and ensure complete temperature records; for distilled spirits, guide accurate declaration of consumption tax to avoid tax risks; for compound wines, review the compliance of food additive use and the labeling of auxiliary material proportions; conduct special differentiated label reviews, focusing on verifying easily non-compliant points such as the word "champagne" on sparkling wines, the aging period of distilled spirits, and the production area certification of fermented wines, reducing the average compliance preparation cycle by more than 40%.

(II) Joint Venture/Wholly-Owned Construction of Production Bases: In-Depth Rooting Path, Suitable for Localized Customization

This path is suitable for foreign enterprises with strong financial strength and plans to deeply cultivate the Chinese market for a long time, especially for categories that need localized taste adaptation (such as low-alcohol fermented wines, fruit-flavored compound wines). It can reduce import tariffs and transportation costs, but it is necessary to break through differentiated production compliance thresholds.

1. Category-Specific Practical Points

• Fermented wines: Production bases should be close to raw material producing areas or consumer markets, with supporting constant-temperature cold chain warehousing; wine brewing must control fermentation temperature (15-25℃) and comply with GB 27588 hygiene standards.

• Distilled spirits: Must build distillation workshops that meet GB 8951, equipped with online alcohol content detection equipment; whiskey aging warehouses must control temperature and humidity (15-20℃, humidity 60-70%).

• Compound wines: Must build special auxiliary material storage workshops (low-temperature storage for fruit juice, dairy products, etc.), equipped with precise ingredient measurement equipment; pre-mixed cocktail production must achieve full-process sterile operation.

• Sparkling wines: Production requires pressure-controlled fermentation tanks, and the filling workshop must control air pressure to avoid carbon dioxide leakage; the packaging workshop must be equipped with shockproof and buffer packaging production lines.

2. Case Analysis

French Rémy Martin built a wholly-owned brandy filling base in Zhuhai, Guangdong, equipped with distillation auxiliary workshops and constant-temperature aging warehouses that meet GB 8951. The localized low-alcohol brandy (38%vol) adapts to the taste of Chinese consumers. In 2024, its sales reached 920 million yuan, with a market share increased to 7.1%. Japan's Suntory joint-ventured with a Chinese local enterprise to build a pre-mixed cocktail production base in Suzhou, Jiangsu, with supporting low-temperature auxiliary material warehouses and full-process cold chain production lines, launching localized flavors such as cherry blossom and bayberry. In 2024, the sales of the joint venture company reached 350 million yuan, accounting for 72% of Suntory's compound wine sales in China.

3. Cooperative Empowerment Value

chinaentryhub.com can provide full-cycle differentiated consulting services for base construction: assist fermented wine/sparkling wine enterprises in site selection and clarify the requirements for supporting cold chain warehousing; guide distilled spirit enterprises to complete the design and certification of GB 8951 workshops; assist compound wine enterprises in sorting out the compliance verification process of auxiliary materials; connect with high-quality local partner resources to reduce information asymmetry risks in joint venture negotiations; guide the completion of environmental impact assessment, food production license (SC certification) and other approvals, reducing the average project preparation cycle by 8-12 months.

(III) Cross-Border E-Commerce Direct Supply: Rapid Reach Path, Suitable for High-End Niche Categories

This path is suitable for high-end niche alcoholic beverages (such as Italian niche production area wine, Scottish craft whiskey, limited-edition champagne), relying on bonded warehouse/direct mail mode to quickly reach young high-end consumer groups and alcoholic beverage collectors, without the need for domestic production licenses. However, it is limited by factors such as single-order limit (5,000 yuan per personal cross-border e-commerce import) and high cold chain costs, making it difficult to achieve large-scale distribution.

1. Category-Specific Practical Specifications

• Fermented wines/sparkling wines: Adopt the mode of "bonded warehouse pre-storage + whole-process cold chain"; sparkling wines need additional shockproof bonded warehousing facilities; labels can adopt the form of "electronic labels + paper attachments", but core information must be complete.

• Distilled spirits: No cold chain required, but must be stored in separate areas in bonded warehouses to avoid mixing with strong-smelling products; marking "aging period" requires filing certification materials on the platform.

• Compound wines: Pre-mixed cocktails require whole-process cold chain, and bonded warehouses must be equipped with low-temperature storage areas; the list of food additives used must be publicized on the platform.

2. Case and Data

Scottish craft whiskey brand Bruichladdich entered China through JD Worldwide's bonded warehouse mode, set up an exclusive storage area in Ningbo Bonded Warehouse in China, and relied on JD's cold chain distribution network to achieve delivery within 72 hours in core cities across the country. In 2024, the sales of the brand's cross-border e-commerce channel reached 160 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 82%. Data shows that in 2024, the scale of China's cross-border e-commerce imported alcoholic beverages reached 13.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 52%, of which sparkling wines accounted for 12%, distilled spirits 55%, fermented wines 30%, and compound wines 3%; the repurchase rate of high-end niche categories reached 48%, significantly higher than that of mass categories.

3. Cooperative Empowerment Value

chinaentryhub.com can provide full-chain differentiated support for cross-border e-commerce: assist fermented wine/sparkling wine enterprises in connecting with cross-border logistics enterprises with shockproof cold chain qualifications, and establish a full-chain temperature traceability system; guide distilled spirit/compound wine enterprises to complete the preparation of platform filing materials; optimize the design of electronic labels to ensure compliance with category-specific requirements; interpret cross-border e-commerce tax policies (details of tariff and value-added tax reductions and exemptions) to avoid single-order limit violations.

III. Core Policy Inquiry Channels for Foreign Enterprises' Four Types of Alcoholic Beverages to Enter China (Websites of Relevant Chinese Departments)

Foreign enterprises need to complete category-specific policy inquiries and standard verifications through official Chinese websites to avoid compliance risks caused by information asymmetry. The following are the core inquiry channels and category-adapted functions:

1. Relevant Inquiry Platforms of the General Administration of Customs

• Inquiry of Registration Information of Overseas Food Production Enterprises for Imported Food: https://ciferquery.singlewindow.cn/, query the registration status of overseas production enterprises of the four types of alcoholic beverages and confirm export qualifications.

• "Food Safety Information Inquiry" on Internet + Customs: https://online.customs.gov.cn/ociswebserver/pages/spaqxxcx/index.html, query the progress of quarantine approval for imported alcoholic beverages, category-specific inspection standards (such as pressure detection standards for sparkling wines), and unqualified notices.

• Official Website of the Import and Export Food Safety Bureau of the General Administration of Customs: http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/302249/302266/302267/index.html, query regulatory policies for imported alcoholic beverages, consumption tax collection and administration specifications, and label review details.

2. Relevant Inquiry Channels of the State Administration for Market Regulation

• Official Website of the State Administration for Market Regulation (http://www.samr.gov.cn/), query category-specific national standards for the four types of alcoholic beverages: GB 27588 (fermented wines), GB 2758 (distilled spirits), GB 2757 (compound wines), GB 27585 (sparkling wines), and GB 7718 label general rules.

• Official Website of the Department of Food Production and Operation Supervision: http://www.samr.gov.cn/spscjgj/, query the requirements for applying for a food production license (SC certification) and the production hygiene standards for each category.

3. Relevant Inquiry Channels of the Ministry of Commerce

• Official Website of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce: http://www.caitec.org.cn/, query imported alcoholic beverage tariff policies, cross-border e-commerce policies, and market consumption trend data.

• Official Website of the Department of Market Operation and Consumption Promotion of the Ministry of Commerce: http://www.mofcom.gov.cn/mofcom/column/ywlm/scyx/, query the circulation data of the alcoholic beverage market and industry development reports.

4. Relevant Inquiry Channels of the National Health Commission

• Official Website of the National Health Commission (http://www.nhc.gov.cn/), query the revision dynamics of national standards related to alcoholic beverages and the food additive use standards (GB 2760), focusing on compliance inquiries for compound wines.

5. Cooperative Empowerment Value

chinaentryhub.com can provide full-process differentiated counseling for official inquiries: according to the characteristics of the four types of alcoholic beverages, sort out the category-specific inquiry functions of various department websites (such as pressure standard inquiry for sparkling wines, food additive inquiry for compound wines); interpret category-specific clauses in policy documents (such as the difference in consumption tax between distilled spirits and compound wines); regularly update policy dynamics (such as national standard revisions, tariff adjustments) and provide targeted response suggestions to ensure that enterprises accurately meet regulatory requirements.

IV. Operation Strategies for China's Alcoholic Beverage Public and Private Domain Markets (Scale, Differences and Operation Methods)

Due to differences in target consumer groups and product positioning, the four types of alcoholic beverages have different adaptability in public and private domain markets. It is necessary to accurately match channel strategies to achieve efficient penetration.

1. Market Scale and Core Differences

(1) Scale Data

In 2024, the scale of China's alcoholic beverage public domain market reached 7.4 trillion yuan (accounting for 90.2%), of which fermented wines accounted for 92% of the public domain, distilled spirits 88%, sparkling wines 80%, and compound wines 95%; the private domain market scale reached 816 billion yuan (accounting for 9.8%), a year-on-year increase of 45%, among which the private domain share of high-end distilled spirits and sparkling wines increased significantly (15% and 22% respectively). Core consumption scenarios: public domain is suitable for mass banquets and daily drinking; private domain is suitable for high-end gifts, niche collections, and personalized customization.

(2) Core Differences

Comparison Dimension	Public Domain Market	Private Domain Market
Traffic Attribute	Public traffic, fierce competition, requiring payment to obtain (such as platform advertising, channel commissions)	Private traffic, accurate users, repeatable reach, low repurchase cost
Customer Acquisition Cost	High, with e-commerce platform commissions of 8-20% and supermarket entry fees accounting for 10-15%	Low, the core cost is early drainage and content operation, and almost no cost in the repurchase stage
Suitable Categories	Mass circulation types (such as affordable wine, industrial beer, ordinary distilled spirits, mass compound wines)	High-end niche types (such as limited-edition whiskey, champagne, niche production area wine, customized compound wines)
Operation Core	Brand exposure, large-scale distribution, compliance control	User relationship maintenance, professional content output, word-of-mouth fission

2. Category-Specific Operation Methods (Including Cases)

(1) Public Domain Market Operation

• Fermented wines/compound wines: Settle in e-commerce platforms such as Tmall, JD.com, and Pinduoduo, and carry out "buy-one-get-one-free" and "combination set" promotions in conjunction with supermarkets (Walmart, China Resources Vanguard); beer focuses on convenience stores (Family Mart, 7-11) to adapt to immediate consumption needs. Case: German Beck's Beer achieved public domain sales of 5.8 billion yuan in 2024 through the "normal temperature + cold chain" dual-warehouse layout of Tmall Supermarket.

• Distilled spirits/sparkling wines: Settle in high-end supermarkets (Ole', BLT) and duty-free stores, and carry out "live streaming with goods" in conjunction with e-commerce platforms (such as Douyin's high-end alcoholic beverage special sessions); distilled spirits can be distributed in catering channels (high-end western restaurants, bars). Case: French Hennessy achieved public domain sales of 3.2 billion yuan in 2024 through JD live streaming with goods.

(2) Private Domain Market Operation

• High-end distilled spirits/sparkling wines: Output professional content (such as whiskey tasting, champagne production area knowledge) through Xiaohongshu and Zhihu, guiding users to add corporate WeChat; establish a membership system and provide customized engraving and exclusive tasting event services. Case: Scottish Macallan Whiskey carried out "exclusive tasting salons" through private domain communities, achieving private domain sales of 2.8 billion yuan in 2024 with a repurchase rate of 52%.

• Niche fermented wines/compound wines: Push "production area traceability" and "personalized gift box customization" services through private domain communities; carry out old-user-refer-new-user rebate activities to achieve word-of-mouth fission. Case: An Italian niche production area wine brand customized wedding gift boxes through private domain, with private domain sales increasing by 120% in 2024.

3. Cooperative Empowerment Value

chinaentryhub.com can provide category-specific public and private domain operation support: on the public domain side, assist in matching e-commerce platforms and supermarket channels suitable for categories (such as connecting sparkling wines with high-end supermarkets and compound wines with convenience stores), and interpret channel compliance requirements; on the private domain side, design content operation strategies and membership systems for high-end alcoholic beverages, and assist in organizing tasting events and customized services; combine category cold chain needs to optimize the cold chain connection plan of "public domain distribution + private domain delivery"; based on market data, match enterprises with the optimal public-private domain ratio strategy (such as suggesting the "public domain popular science drainage + private domain professional service conversion" model for high-end distilled spirits, and the "public domain large-scale distribution" model for mass fermented wines).

V. Core Compliance Risks and Cooperative Avoidance Strategies for Foreign Enterprises' Four Types of Alcoholic Beverages to Enter China

The risks of the four types of alcoholic beverages entering China show category-specific characteristics. From January to June 2025, customs nationwide intercepted 186 batches of unqualified imported alcoholic beverages, of which fermented wines accounted for 42% (core risks: substandard cold chain temperature, microbial contamination), distilled spirits 35% (core risks: non-standard label warning words, excessive methanol), sparkling wines 15% (core risks: substandard pressure, bottle explosion hazards), and compound wines 8% (core risks: excessive food additives, unmarked auxiliary material proportions).

1. Category-Specific Risk Avoidance

• Fermented wines: chinaentryhub.com assists in designing full-chain cold chain solutions, connects with compliant cold chain logistics, and ensures complete temperature records; conducts microbial testing in advance to avoid contamination risks.

• Distilled spirits: Assists in reviewing the standardization of label warning words (font size, color); guides the testing of methanol and fusel oil to ensure compliance with national standard limits; accurately interprets consumption tax policies to avoid tax misdeclaration.

• Sparkling wines: Assists in conducting pressure testing and packaging shockproof testing; reviews the compliance of the use of the word "champagne" on labels to avoid category marking errors.

• Compound wines: Comprehensively reviews the list of food additives used to ensure compliance with GB 2760 standards; assists in marking auxiliary material proportions to avoid the risk of "false ingredient marking".

VI. Summary and Outlook: Differentiated Cooperation Empowers Efficient Entry into China

China's alcoholic beverage market shows a significant consumption upgrading trend, with the continuous growth of high-end, niche and personalized demands, providing broad opportunities for foreign enterprises to import the four types of alcoholic beverages into China. However, the category-specific compliance requirements, cold chain needs and channel adaptability also bring many challenges. The three major paths of general trade, joint venture/wholly-owned, and cross-border e-commerce each have suitable scenarios, which need to be selected according to category characteristics and enterprise strategies; the public and private domain markets need to be accurately matched to achieve differentiated penetration.

Relying on in-depth interpretation of differentiated regulatory policies for the four types of alcoholic beverages and full-process practical experience, chinaentryhub.com China Market Access Service Center can provide "category-customized" services: from early policy inquiry and access qualification review, to mid-term cold chain solution design and customs clearance counseling, and then to late-stage channel expansion and public-private domain operation, comprehensively solving category-specific compliance challenges, reducing the average preparation cycle for foreign enterprises to enter China by more than 50%, and significantly reducing compliance risks and market expansion costs.

In the future, with the deepening of China's market opening-up, the supervision of alcoholic beverages will become more intelligent and refined. Cooperating with chinaentryhub.com can not only achieve "rapid access", but also rely on continuous policy update counseling and market adaptation adjustments to help foreign enterprises realize the transformation from "product entry into China" to "brand rooting", and gain advantages in differentiated competition.