On 1 September 2026, the bottled and bulk quotas combine in the EU and UK respectively. This means that bulk shipments cleared from 1 September 2026 and before 31 December 2026 may derive benefit from the respective bottled quotas where the bulk quotas have been exhausted.

As in previous years, the remaining bottled and bulk quotas will be opened on a first-come-first-served basis to facilitate the combining of the quotas and provide exporters with access to additional available quota.

Bottled and Bulk Quota

From 1 September 2026, the bottled and bulk quotas will be opened on a first-come-first-served basis, irrespective of an exporter’s remaining allocation. Quota claims may therefore be submitted for any qualifying bottled or bulk exports, even where the exporter has exhausted or exceeded their individual allocation.

Provision will be made to retain and ring-fence sufficient volume to satisfy the needs of existing quota holders until the end of the year.

Please take note of the following:

• This arrangement applies only to consignments cleared in the EU or UK on or after 1 September 2026 and before 31 December 2026.
• Retrospective applications will be permitted, provided that the consignment was cleared on or after 1 September 2026 and before 31 December 2026.
• Where the bulk quota has been exhausted, the claim should be submitted against the bottled quota in the country of clearance.

Wine Online Quota Claims

The process for claiming quota on Wine Online remains unchanged.

To submit a quota claim, navigate to Documentation – Documents – Applications – Quota Declaration. Submit the quota declaration for the applicable exports using the standard search functionality and clicking Edit.

Important Notes

Existing quota holders are strongly encouraged to process outstanding claims immediately. This will ensure that their existing allocations are utilised before the remaining quota is opened on a first-come-first-served basis and potentially exhausted.

Exporters must ensure that consignments intended to benefit from the above arrangement are cleared within the applicable period.

Should a bulk consignment benefiting from this arrangement only arrive or be cleared at the port of discharge in 2027, the applicable volume will be deducted retrospectively from the exporter’s 2027 allocation. This is necessary to ensure that South African quota allocations remain aligned with the actual utilisation recorded in the EU and UK.

Should you require any additional information, the Department and Wine Online teams will be available for further engagement.