Taiwan & Vietnam: Gold Medal Taiwan Beer reportedly close to signing deal on opening brewery in Vietnam

Gold Medal Taiwan Beer, a century-old brand brewed by the state-owned Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corp., will open a brewery in Vietnam in the near future, a source familiar with the matter was quoted as saying by China Post on December 14.

After more than two years of market survey and assessment, the state-owned enterprise has decided to partner with Sapporo Vietnam Co. Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of Japan's Sapporo International Inc., which will handle production of its beer in Vietnam, the source said.

The Taiwanese and Japanese companies are expected to sign a contract on December 17 at Taiwan Trade Center's representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, and R.O.C. Representative to Vietnam Huang Chih-peng will also be present, the source said.

Under the deal, Sapporo Vietnam will be responsible for production of Taiwan Beer in the southern province of Long An near Ho Chi Minh City, while a Vietnamese company will handle the marketing, according to the source.

Taiwan Beer is expected to hit the Vietnamese market before March 2016, in the first overseas venture by Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corp. in alcoholic products.

The company is also aiming to expand sales to other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) markets via the deal, the source said.

With a population of 90 million, Vietnam is one of the world's largest consumers of alcohol. According to statistics, beer sales in the country were around 3.1 billion litres in 2014. Based on the average price of US$1 per litre, the country's beer sales totaled some US$3.1 billion last year.

16 December, 2015