Le Havre, Rouen and Paris cluster now world's biggest wine exporter

THE alliance of the three ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris, grouped together under the name of HAROPA, has reached record exports of wines and spirits at 850 million bottles in 2012 expected to reach one billion bottles by 2015.

France's highest ranking for wine production has fostered the ports' exports in 2011 showing an increase of 14 per cent in wine exports, champagne up 16 per cent.

North America is the second largest export market and Asia is growing in demand with exports to Hong Kong up 90 per cent and to Singapore, up 52 per cent. Burgundy and Cognac exports have been increasing on Asian demand for some years.

The fourth largest port complex in northern Europe says 57 per cent of its container trade is with China. HAROPA offers regular container services three to eight days transit-time saved between the China ports and Le Havre, compared to the ports of the North-European range.

The port complex offers 2.6 million square metres of warehousing, and 55 warehouses dedicated to wine and spirits, specialised carriers (food-compliant containers, reefer boxes, LCL groupage including temperature-controlled equipment.

HAROPA boasts simple administrative and customs procedures: e-procedures, import without paying VAT, European Union automated outward visa, release in real time of the deposits for circulation of the products subject to excise, customs clearance time of less than six minutes on average.

According to a port statement, up to 98 per cent of the operations are carried out without any physical inspection of goods. ISO 28 000 certification of the Le Havre port authority. Scheduled inland connections are provided by "wine shuttles", dedicated rail and river services from the main French producing regions: Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne and Cognac.