E-Malt.com News article: Paraguay: Anheuser-Busch inked distribution agreement for Budweiser beer with Bebidas des Paraguay

Anheuser-Busch said it will launch its Budweiser beer in Paraguay through an import and distribution agreement with Bebidas del Paraguay that begins this month, St. Louis Business Journal posted October 18.

Terms of the exclusive partnership were not disclosed. Bebidas del Paraguay will market the product to bars, restaurants, supermarkets and liquor stores throughout Paraguay, including the Asuncion, Ciudad del Este and Encarnacion markets, according to a release.

Budweiser sold through Bebidas del Paraguay will be brewed and packaged by the Argentina-based subsidiary of Compania Cervecerias Unidas S.A. (CCU) in Santa Fe, according to the release. CCU currently brews and distributes Budweiser in Argentina.

"Paraguay is an important beer market, as industry volume has grown more than 10 percent annually during the past two years," Esteban Amoia, regional marketing manager, South America, for Anheuser-Busch International, said in a statement. "In addition, Budweiser already enjoys a strong brand image due to its past presence in the market, and our research shows a growing interest in premium international beers."

A-B will market Budweiser in Paraguay as a premium international lager. The brand will sponsor Club Libertad, a popular football team based in Asunción, whose team's jersey will feature the Budweiser logo.

Bebidas del Paraguay S.A. is the beverage division of the Palermo Group, which also has business interests in finance, beef production, aviation, sports management and tobacco.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.8% share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50% share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer, and a 27% share in Tsingtao, the No. 1 brewer in China. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2006.


20 October, 2006