Region: beer wars

Carlsberg Centroamérica last week imported nine containers of European beer in Guatemala, including the Carlsberg and Tuborg brands - both produced in Denmark - and French-brewed Kronenbourg.

The company plans to import 650 thousand liters of beer for distribution throughout the region in 2012.

In Costa Rica , the volumen of imported beer in is expected to increase by close to 40% in Costa Rica this year, compared with 2010
When Cafta came into force in Costa Rica in 2009, duties on imported beer fell from 15% to 11%, and since then have been declining by 1% annually.

As a result of low taxes, Costa Rican importers are introducing no fewer than six new brands into the market, including Old Milwaukee, Budweiser, Coors and Miller from the United States, and Becks from Germany, as well as Carlsberg.

For over 100 years, one or two groups of beer barons in each Central American country dominated the business, protected by high tariff walls.


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