U.S. wine exports to China were up 14% in value to $38.4 million for the first six months of 2018, January through June, compared to the same time period last year, despite the continued threat of increased China tariffs. Demand for California wines in China is driving sales, reported the Wine Institute’s California Wine Export Program team in China. The country threatened to impose an additional 25% retaliatory tariff on U.S. wine exports in August in response to a U.S. government proposal to increase tariffs on imports of Chinese goods related to intellectual property. This proposed tariff on bottled wine would be added to the 15% retaliatory tariff for U.S. government actions on Chinese steel and aluminum imports enacted in April. Bulk wine imports would face an additional 10% tariff. Total U.S. wine exports worldwide were up 2.7% by value to $708 million through June 2018. By volume, exports are up 1.7% to 21.3 million cases for the six-month period.