The big news from the Japanese Ministry of Finance was that after miraculously squeaking upwards throughout the pandemic and the following turbulent years, their data for fiscal 2023 shows that sake exports fell both in terms of volume (by 19%) and value (by 13%).
However, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS) pointed out some silver linings, namely that unit price per bottle hit its highest value yet – at an average of over JPY 1,000 per bottle – and sake is being exported to more countries than ever before.
The drop in exports is attributed to recession in China and the USA, as well as a ban on fish imports to China which had a knock-on effect on on-trade sake sales.
(The Drinks Business, 19 Feb 2024, English)
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There’s also the possibility that many importers re-ordered large volumes in 2022 when their stocks ran out, leading to natural drop in orders the following year.
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