US: Craft beer exports grow again in 2010 – The Brewers Association

In what is becoming a true success story, American craft beer exports grew again in 2010. The Brewers Association (BA) reported on April 5 estimated international sales by independent craft brewers up 28 percent by volume for 2010, with some regions seeing export increases of more than 90 percent.

The Brewers Association’s recently-concluded annual export survey revealed that for the eighth consecutive year (representing all years for which data has been collected), U.S. craft beer exports increased substantially. In 2010, BA Export Development Program (EDP) subscribers exported more than 1.8 million gallons of beer, representing a 28 percent increase over total export volumes in 2009.

The increase in international sales is substantial in light of the lingering global economic recession. Despite decreasing purchasing power, consumer demand for American craft beers has remained strong and importers have continued to expand their portfolios of American craft beer brands. Canada, Sweden and the UK represent the largest markets for American craft beer.

“The 28 percent increase in the export of U.S. craft beers reflects the increasing consumer thirst across the globe for the world class beers that U.S. craft breweries are creating,” said Brett Joyce, CEO of Rogue Ales and EDP steering committee chair.

The Brewers Association's Export Development Program began in 2004 with a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's Market Access Program. Since its inception, objectives for the Export Development Program have remained unchanged. These include:

•Educating international trade and media about the quality and diversity of products offered by the U.S. craft beer industry and about U.S. craft beer culture.
•Informing member breweries about opportunities for their products in key international target markets.
•Complementing the industry's own efforts to increase international distribution.

To date, the Export Development Program has successfully promoted its members’ beer in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, China, Japan, Brazil, Philippines, Singapore and Australia.

06 April, 2011