Australian wine exports have slumped to a five-year low because of the heavy tariffs imposed by the Chinese government.

According to Wine Australia, the industry body that tracks official data, overall exports for the 12 months ended September 30 had dropped by 24 per cent to $2.27 billion, with sales to China tumbling by 77 per cent to $274 million.

The annual rate of exports to China is now about one fifth of the $1.3 billion worth of wine a year that was sold to China before the punishing tariffs were imposed in November.

Two thirds of Australian wine producers have simply given up selling to China. The number of exporters shipping to mainland China fell from 2241 a year ago, to 750 in the year ended September 2021.

The value of exports shipped to overseas markets was $2.99 billion in the year ended September 30, 2020, and $2.89 billion in the 12 months to September 30, 2019. In the year ended September 30, 2016, the value of exports was at $2.17 billion.