Kirin to End Production of Budweiser in Japan

July 25, 2018

Tokyo- Kirin Brewery Co. will terminate production and sales of Budweiser beer in Japan at the end of this year, according to informed sources.

Anheuser-Busch InBev of Belgium, which owns the Budweiser brand, is expected to ship the beer to Japan for sale in the country from next year, the sources said.

The unit of Kirin Holdings Co. will maintain its alliance with ABI, the world's largest brewer, outside Japan.

Budweiser is a U.S.-born beer brand that is popular around the world. Since 1993, Kirin has been brewing and selling the beer in Japan.

Setting up a Japanese unit in 2015, ABI started to sell products of its brands by itself in the country. In January this year, the company took over the sales of Hoegaarden beer in Japan from Asahi Breweries Ltd., a Japanese brewer under the wing of Asahi Group Holdings Ltd..

Annual sales of Budweiser in Japan come to some 9,000 kiloliters, accounting for about 0.5 pct of Kirin's total beer sales in volume. Jiji Press