Shang-Hied Corona from Shanghai, anybody?

According to local media sources, the Chinese backyard operators had filled used Corona bottles with other beers of varying quality and some had labels inconsistent with those legally sold in Australia.

The beer was seized for breaching trademark laws.

Foster’s Group spokesman Troy Hey was reported as saying that Foster’s did not know whether any counterfeit beers had passed through Customs undetected or were now on the market.

But Mr Hey said that the company was vigilant when investigating reports of non-genuine product and was working closely with Customs to ensure only genuine Corona was available.

Foster’s believes that the source was China.

Although Foster’s has the Australian licence to distribute Corona, "parallel" importing of Corona into Australia by distributors other than Foster’s takes place too because it is not forbidden by law.

Foster’s once owned a brewery in Shanghai which it sold in to Suntory in 2006 when it decided to exit the Chinese market.