The laws for shipping wine vary by country.
Shipping wine internationally is currently facilitated by several private courier companies, such as FedEx and UPS. Legislation is pending in Congress that would allow the U.S. Postal Service to ship wine. The laws for importing wine vary from one country to another, and you can legally send wine to your friends, relatives, and business associates through the private companies.
Exporting
Private courier companies have a stringent policy to ensure that the wine is legally and safely exported from the U.S. to the destination country. For example, FedEx files all electronic documents, import duties, local taxes, customs regulations, and delivery to the destination country on behalf of U.S. licensed manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers of wine. To facilitate individual exporting of wine for non-commercial use, Wine by Air International provides delivery to most European countries at a cost of $135 to $150 per bottle of wine.
Importing
The laws for importing wine depend on the destination country, but private courier companies have a good reputation to safely delivering wine with relevant legal permits. FedEx guarantees safe delivery of wine to the licensed importers in more than 30 countries. You can also track the shipment online. If you are at least 21 years of age, then you can import 1 to 12 bottles, 750 ml, of wine.
Future Prospects
Collaborative efforts by manufacturers, exporters, importers, shipping companies, and the government have allowed easier shipment of wine internationally. The Wine Institute has adopted a leadership role to present the interests of the industry, and its Export Promotional Program has contributed to the expansion of wine exports from $35 million in 1986 to $800 million in 2005. The proposed Postal Operations Sustainment and Transformation Act of 2010 would allow safe and legal shipment of wine through the USPS system.
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