(Decanter) - Hundreds of jobs are being lost in the South African wine packaging industry as bulk exports soar - leading to the spectre of a trade war between the UK and South Africa. Bulk exports – mainly to the UK but also to Germany – stood at around 40m litres in 2006 but since then have soared to 50-60m litres. In 2006, these bulk shipments represented 35% of South African exports; this year the figure is 52%. There are compelling advantages to shipping wine in bulk: it is cheaper, better for the environment, creates packaging jobs in the destination country, and end users can tailor packaging more closely to suit their markets.