France tops international suppliers to Macau with exports of over MOP2 billion in 2024

France is Macau’s second-largest supplier of food products and beverages after mainland China, with exports valued at over MOP2 billion in 2024, Christile Drulhe, the Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, said in her opening address at the inaugural edition of the “Macao Food & Wine Experience.”

The event, held last Friday afternoon by Business France in partnership with the France Macau Chamber of Commerce (FMCC), the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Bailliage of Macau, and the Alliance Française de Macao, featured 16 French food and beverage product suppliers.
In her remarks, Drulhe also highlighted the influence of French gastronomy in Macau’s vibrant culinary scene, stating,

“French cuisine is renowned throughout the world for its sophistication, refinement, and diversity. Our delicate wines and exquisite food products are part of our cultural heritage and one of France’s main tourist attractions. But for the French, good food is not only about the taste; it is also about the people you share it with,” she said, “I am delighted that French gastronomy has been proving very popular among residents and tourists,” she added.
The Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau added that while French wines and spirits are in high demand, particularly those from Bordeaux and Cognac, cheeses, dairy, and bakery products have also proven particularly popular in the Macau market.

Figures provided by the organizers show that direct exports of French wines to Macau, by value, have a high prevalence of those from the Bordeaux region (79.78%), while in terms of spirits, Cognac tops the list with over 96%.

The first-ever Macao Food & Wine Experience took place at Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau, drawing over 200 professionals from the food and beverage sector, media representatives, and gourmet enthusiasts.

The event unfolded across multiple venues at Artyzen Grand Lapa, offering not only food and beverage tasting experiences with six food exhibitors and 10 wines and spirits suppliers based in both Hong Kong and Macau but also extended to Café Bela Vista, where chef Betty Fung presented a fusion menu created mainly from French products that mixed Western and Asian styles.

As a side event, Vasco Bar and Lounge presented an event later in the evening open to the general public, during which wines from the South of France were served.

Representatives from wineries and distilleries hailing directly from France also traveled to this special event to showcase their wines and spirits from various producing regions, such as Bordeaux, Cognac, Loire Valley, or Languedoc-Roussillon.
Representing FMCC, Nacky Kuan noted that France is a country where food is not just a necessity but a way of life.

She said that FMCC was delighted to support the event and thanked Business France for choosing Macau for the first-ever Food & Wine Experience event, which she said would bring “valuable experience” to all the FMCC partners.

Organizers also noted that following the Macau debut event, the second Food & Wine Experience will take place on April 15 at The Peninsula Hong Kong, coinciding with the press conference that will present this year’s French GourMay Festival.