Friday, February 11, 2022

MONOPOLY CAPITALI$M; DUOPOLY
Treasury report: two brewers dominate U.S. beer, wine and spirits markets
By Doug Cunningham


Missouri Governor Jay Nixon inspects a Bud Light beer bottle at opening ceremonies of the new Anheuser-Busch expanded aluminum manufacturing plant in Arnold, Mo., on April 8, 2016. A Feb. 2022 Treasury Department report says U.S. alcohol markets are dominated by Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors.
 Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo


Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Two brewers dominate the U.S. alcohol industry, according to a U.S. Treasury Department report required by an Executive Order from President Biden.

The report found that Anheuser-Busch Inbev and Molson Coors have dominated the U.S. markets since 2008, accounting for about 65% of the beer market nationwide, as measured by revenue.

The report encouraged the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to "continue their antitrust scrutiny of the alcohol markets."

The report noted two major trends in the last several decades in the beer, wine and spirits industry.

The first is significant growth of small and "craft" makers of beer, wine and spirits. More than 6,400 breweries, 6,600 wineries and 1,900 distilleries are operating in the United States.

The report said the second major alcohol industry trend is consolidation.

"In many states," the report said, "there has been significant consolidation in distribution."

The Treasury Department said studies have shown direct links between major brewery mergers and an ability to raise prices in the markets in which they compete.

The department's report encouraged states to explore changes to eliminate anticompetitive effects and to bolster competition in the alcohol industry.

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