China | People come first. While analysts worry that the Chinese government’s measures to stop the virus from spreading will hamper beer sales, Carlsberg’s CEO Cees ´t Hart showed above all sympathy for China’s citizens. He called the current situation “very sad for China and its people.”

Vietnam | Beer sales in January are estimated to have dropped by at least 25 percent, as the authorities have cracked down on driving under the influence. Analysts say the new measures could drive down beer sales this year by 5 percent.

Australia | Price competition in a crowded beer market, combined with higher costs, have eaten into the profit of Coopers, Australia’s major independent brewer. Total beer sales rose 2 percent to nearly 770,000 hl, but pre-tax profit dropped 33 percent to AUD 23.1 million.

Australia | Dry January is upon us. Those still imbibing may want to take note of Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Its new tougher guideline recommends no more than 1.4 drinks per day.

USA | New Belgium is no longer employee owned and can no longer be considered an independent craft brewer, after employees/shareholders approved of the sale to Australia’s brewer Lion on 17 December 2019.

USA | Consider this: Kirin’s purchase of craft brewer New Belgium did more to raise international awareness about Kirin’s political balancing in Myanmar than previous reports by the United Nations and Amnesty International.

Myanmar | Multinational companies doing business in the south-east Asian country could be facing risks to their reputation, following criticisms of Kirin’s partnership with a military-linked conglomerate.

Australia | The country’s competition watchdog ACCC has raised concerns over the USD 11 billion deal by AB-InBev to sell its local unit CUB to Japan’s Asahi. AB-InBev acquired Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) from SABMiller in 2016.

Japan | Asahi Breweries will report beer sales by value rather than volume, starting with 2019 data. This will allow it to bow out of a costly battle for market share in Japan and free up resources for expansion abroad.

Australia | It is a ridiculous amount of money. Allegedly, CUB paid between AUD 150 million and AUD 200 million (USD 140 million) for craft brewer Balter, which could be selling 50,000 hl beer this year.