World Wine Trade Group

Early discussions at the New World Wine Producers identified the possible threats to trade that arose from differing national rules on oenological practices. At the first Zurich meeting it was agreed that such differences should not be a basis for erecting technical barriers to trade.

From this point it was agreed to develop a Mutual Acceptance Agreement on Oenological Practices (MAA). The text of the Agreement was first discussed in Santiago, Chile in October 1999 and was further refined at the subsequent meetings in Queenstown, New Zealand and Sonoma, United States of America.

The text of the Agreement, which has full treaty status, was initialed by the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada at the commencement of the Adelaide meeting in April 2001. The text was finally signed in Toronto, Canada in December of 2001 by Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, and the United States.

The MAA is a landmark in the development of international trade. It is the first multi-lateral Mutual Acceptance Agreement, in any field, fully compliant with the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement. For winemakers, exporters and importers the implications of the Agreement are profound - assured access to markets without the costs and frustrations of barriers to trade based on differences in oenological practices.

The essence of the MAA is that wine made in accordance with oenological practices permitted in one signatory country may be imported into any other signatory country regardless of the rules applying to oenological practices in the importing country. This agreement recognizes the legitimacy of different approaches to making and regulating and also ensures that the introduction of new technologies is not likely to create disruptions in trade. In terms of barriers at the border, this agreement has obviated the need for certification of winemaking practices between signatories. It also establishes a number of benchmarks for international trade in wine, such as enshrining the primacy of the WTO agreements and the need to protect consumer health and safety and prevent consumer deception.