Germany: German breweries sold 29.5 million hl of beer in the third quarter of the year, a 0.3% decline or with 0.1 million hl less versus the corresponding period last year, Federal Statistical Office revealed on October 27. The figures don’t contain alcohol free beers and malt drinks as well as beer imported from countries outside EU. However, during January-September 2004 German breweries sold about 81.2 million hl of beer, a 0.3% increase or with 0.2 million hl more against January-September 2003.

Beer-mixed drinks’ sales decreased 15.1% to 0.8 million hl in the third quarter of the year.

Taxed beer sales, which are related to domestic beer consumption, totaled 25.2 million hl Q3 2004, a 2.4% decrease. Tax-free beer sales amounted to 4.3 million hl. a rise of 14.4%. Of which 3.5 million hl were exported to EU countries, 0.8 million hl to third countries and 55,014 hl (-1.2%) to breweries’ employees.

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