BEIJING: Domestic beer volumes in China dropped in the first half of this year as imports continued to grow, new figures show.
Volumes for domestic brands including Yanjing and Tsingtao fell 8% in the six months to the end of June, according to FT Confidential Research, a research service from the Financial Times. The decline was blamed on bad weather and a slowdown in the Chinese economy.
Imports were up 63% as import taxes declined and on-trade consumption increased, the study said.
Despite the rise, imported beers still account for just 1% of overall volumes.
The FT study said that domestic beers are expected to return to moderate growth but China’s beer market will continue to be affected by consolidation and a move towards higher-margin products.
In a survey of 1,000 beer drinkers, 58% usually pay more than CNY6 (US$0.95) for a 33cl bottle, a level considered mid-range and above.
