Italy: Beer production reaches new record high in 2016

Italian beer production reached a new record high of 14.5 million hectolitres in 2016, of which almost 2.6 million were exported, according to Italian beer association AssoBirra, ESM reports.

Consumption has increased to over 31 litres per person per year, while imports amounted to 6.9 million hl.

AssoBirra says that these results are positive and promising, but are simply a starting point to achieving even more ambitious goals.

In its view, this can only be done if Italian beer is allowed to compete on the same playing field as its foreign competitors.

The industry is currently asking for a gradual structural intervention on the costs and timing of excise taxes, as well as a commitment to support the entire beer industry, which it says would reinforce its sustainability, facilitate new job opportunities, increase productivity and quality of the products.

Despite the increase in beer consumption, Italy remains one of the lowest consumers in Europe, with figures that are less than half of the EU average.

Countries with the highest consumption include the Czech Republic (143 litres per person per year), Germany (106 litres), Austria (106 litres), and Poland (98 litres).

In terms of its exports, 2 million hl of Italian beer is sold in EU markets, such as the UK (1.3 million hl), France (124,000 hl), Germany (70,000 hl) and The Netherlands (56,000 hl).

Outside the EU, the USA is the largest export market (196,000 hl), followed by Australia (47,000) and Albania (42,000).

The main market that Italy imports beer from is Germany, which represents 43% of Italy’s total beer imports, followed by The Netherlands (11.2%) and Belgium/Luxembourg (11.1%).

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