“Big Beer plans sales push from Brazil to China with volumes in focus”
Reuters reports:
“From the beaches of Copacabana in Brazil to the neon bars of Shanghai, the world’s largest brewer AB InBev, opens new tab needs to convince consumers to order more Budweiser beers and Coronas.
The company’s shares slid 11.5% on Thursday, the biggest daily drop since 2020, after its second quarter volumes missed estimates, dragged down by sharp declines in Brazil – a key market – and China, the world’s second largest economy.”
“The Ministry of Agriculture launches the beer yearbook”
Istoé Dinheiro reports:
“On Tuesday, 5, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) launched the 2025 Beer Yearbook, reference year 2024, in partnership with the National Union of the Beer Industry (Sindicerv). According to the institutional document, Brazil has 43,176 beers and 55,015 registered brands.
The yearbook, developed by the Secretariat of Agricultural Defence, presents statistical data on the beer sector in the country.The state with the highest number of registered beers continues to be São Paulo, with 12,803. São Paulo also has the highest average, with 30 products registered per establishment. Espírito Santo was the federal unit with the largest increase in number, rising from 1,221 to 1,434 in the last year, an increase of 213 registrations. The Brazilian average is 22.2 product registrations per establishment.”
Assessment
The beer industry is struggling globally, with AB InBev’s second-quarter results reflecting falling volumes in some of its biggest markets. This makes Brazil an even more important growth target, and the company’s announced sales drive should be seen as a warning of intensified marketing campaigns. This likely means more aggressive brand promotion, sponsorship, and product placement – all of which risk increasing alcohol harm.
The Beer Yearbook launch shows just how closely the industry works with government institutions to frame expansion as a matter of national pride. Partnerships like these opens the door for greater industry influence over policy. With the sector under pressure to grow, we can expect increased alcohol industry lobbying to weaken, delay, or block effective measures such as more ambitious taxes, and common-sense limitations to alcohol marketing and availability.
Together, these developments highlight the urgency for alcohol policy advocates to closely monitor the industry’s moves in Brazil, expose the links between marketing expansion and harm, and counteract lobbying efforts with a clear push for evidence-based policies that protect health and prioritise public interest over corporate profits.