02/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Italian Coldiretti organisation noted in a press statement that divisions between France and the USA on the war in Iraq did not appear to have been overcome among US citizens, given the fact that consumption of French wine in the USA fell in exports by 21% to the advantage of Australia (+14.2%) and Italy (+4.2%), which are now in second and first place respectively, in the USA market. On the basis of data provided by the Italian Wine and Food Institute the first eleven months of 2004 will illustrate that almost a third of all money is spent on Italian wine, 22.3% on French wine with frontrunner, Australia gaining 25.4%. Coldiretti admitted that Australian wine may be benefiting from the euro-dollar exchange rate.