The American Institute of Beer Industry Group (Beer Institute) reported that, according to its estimates, total beer wholesale sales in the US rose by 0.3% last year, partly due to higher sales of crafting and imported beers.
Sales of import brands of beer - mostly Mexican - were able to give the desired boost and bring the sector in a positive result in 2016, the head of the Beer Institute said. Other beer exporters to the US include:
• Netherlands;
• Germany;
• Belgium;
• The United Kingdom.
The volume of beer imports rose by 6,5%, or 2M brls compared with 2015, was mentioned.
Imports of beer in the United States have steadily increased since the beginning of 1990th when imported brands occupy only 4% of the total sold in the country volume. In 2015, it rose by 6% to 31M brls.
The production of beer in the US fell by 0.8% last year or 1.5M brls. 2016 was the fourth consecutive year when beer sales showed a decrease in local production, and the 7th of the last 8 years, when American brewers have not been able to achieve growth of the category, according to Beer Institute.
However, beer production of more than 5 thousand crafting US brewers grew by 7% in the past year, noting the "reduction of the industry growth rates in comparison with the previous years."
Beer ceded part of its market share of other categories of alcoholic beverages in the past year.
"Both the wine market and the category of spirits bypassed beer the previous year, increasing the volumes by 2 and 2.5% correspondingly," - he said. "As a result, beer has lost about 0.5% market share, accounting for two-thirds of the share, which went from beer to wine and spirits in 2015."
