The Norwegian brewer, Ringnes, is to close two of its four breweries in Norway, Norwegian press reported on April 22, 2003. According to the same sources, the closures are a result of the country's increased taxes on alcohol sales, and falling beer sales in particular in 2001 and 2002.

“Although Ringnes has performed strongly in the last few years, its future looks tougher, with consumers buying more of their beer in cross border shopping,” the company said.

E-malt.com, the global information source for the brewing and malting industry professionals. The bi-weekly E-malt.com Newsletters feature latest industry news, statistics in graphs and tables, world barley and malt prices, and other relevant information. Click here to get full access to E-malt.com. If you are a Castle Malting client, you can get free access to E-malt.com website and publications. Contact us for more information at marketing@castlemalting.com .