Dumping and Taxes Embitter Life of Bulgarian Winemakers

Bulgarian wines “taste bitter” to their producers because of the dumping policy of foreign competitors and unbearably high taxes that retail chains collect from wineries. These were the complaints of the winemakers from across Bulgaria who gathered at the inauguration of the traditional Vinaria Expo in Plovdiv. Low-quality Italian wines invade the Bulgarian market; their manufacturers offer dumping prices, e.g. a 5-l bottle of Italian wine is available for 6 leva (about 3 euro.) Big foreign retail chains also drive the Bulgarian wine producers into a corner, as they demand too high taxes. Yet another blow to the local wineries was a new ordinance by the Ministry of Finance demanding control over excise goods – it obliges wineries to install expensive dosimeters on every wine cask. Winemakers believe that this will result in a monopoly of several companies and labs testing wine quality.      

Over a hundred Bulgarian winemakers supported by the regional vine and wine chambers in the cities of Plovdiv and Varna have signed a declaration against the finance ministry’s ordinance. They have already approached the Consumer Protection Commission and will also file a claim to the Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Administrative Court.

There is a 45 percent increase in the number of foreign wineries at this year’s Vinaria expo, while South Africa is the official partner of the wine fair. Mrs. Sheila Camerer, ambassador of South Africa to Bulgaria, attended the opening of Vinaria 2010.

There are over 200 wineries in Bulgaria that increased their production by 1.7 tonnes last year,” Economy Minister Traycho Traykov said.