AB InBev Fined $225 Million for Thwarting Cheap Beer Imports

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by Snowcrash000, May 14, 2019.

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  1. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,017) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
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    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...5-million-for-thwarting-cheap-beer-re-imports
     
  2. thebeers

    thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,393) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania
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    As long as it tastes good, I don’t care if the company illegally manipulates the market to make me pay more :rolling_eyes::rolling_eyes::rolling_eyes:
     
  3. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
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    It has always confounded me how people will turn a blind eye to a company that has dubious business practices as long as the bcbs keeps flowing.
     
  4. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    Just curious... how many entertainers, networks, publications, web sites, businesses, or corporations are on your personal boycott list?
     
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  5. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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    AB InBev “controls around half of Belgium’s beer market”.

    I did not know that; you learn something new every day.

    Cheers!
     
  6. jbertsch

    jbertsch Pooh-Bah (2,710) Dec 14, 2008 Massachusetts
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    Surprised it's that low.
     
  7. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
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    Several. Especially when it comes to my fun money. Do you choose to support businesses that don't jive with your personal morals? Or is this all "relative" to you?
     
  8. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    You present a false choice.
     
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  9. Longhorn08

    Longhorn08 Savant (1,085) Feb 4, 2014 Texas
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    Now we are philosifizers.
     
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  10. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
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    I answered your question regardless of it pretense.
     
  11. Crusader

    Crusader Pooh-Bah (1,651) Feb 4, 2011 Sweden
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    Interesting article. Due to differing taxation and other factors beer prices can differ quite a bit inbetween different European markets, and cross border importation by individuals is quite common (i realize that this was about commercial retail beer sales). The Norwegians buy cheaper beer in Sweden, the Swedes buy cheaper beer in Denmark and the Danes buy cheaper beer in Germany. The Finns buy cheaper beer in Estonia. It makes sense then that retailers would take advantage of cross border price differences at the wholesale level since it helps their margins, and that brewers like ABInbev would not be very pleased with this practise since it undermines their own margins.

    Most breweries would prefer to not have to compete with lower priced foreign competition I imagine (the Norwegian brewers complain about cross border sales by individuals, the Swedish brewers complain about cross border sales by individuals, Finnish brewers complain about cross border sales individuals), and I imagine that none would like to compete with lower priced foreign competition produced by their own company.
     
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  12. Loops

    Loops Devotee (333) Feb 13, 2014 Missouri

  13. Beer_Stan

    Beer_Stan Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2014 California
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    As the the "Cheap Beer" importers' diabolical "Council of Thirteen" collectively wring a gloved fist toward the infamous and equally nefarious ABInbev and belt out a well deserved (ala Skeletor) "Curses!! Foiled again, thwarted by the scourge ABInbev once again!"
     
  14. rgordon

    rgordon Pooh-Bah (2,677) Apr 26, 2012 North Carolina
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    St Louis is a bit to quaint for the heights these titans seek. They needed to stretch out. But I do well recall the double speak practiced and utilized by these guys as if they were lines in a script.....It was always very obvious and very easy to sell against.
     
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  15. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    Yes you did, along with your pretense.
     
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  16. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,275) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
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    I infer from your comment, that either you feel AB-Inbev's conduct in this case is no worse than that exemplified by many other entertainers, networks, businesses, etc., and/or that it's somewhat hypocritical to boycott one wrongdoer if you don't boycott all of them.

    Assuming that's the point you're trying to make (and admittedly, it's difficult to be sure, given your rather cryptic comment), I could not disagree more with your point of view.

    Like @SFARKnight I suspect, I'm well aware that there's plenty of bad shit going on in the world, and that there are a veritable plethora of other "corporate assholes" on the planet (other than ab). It would be nice if there was something I/we could do to express our dissatisfaction with all of their bad behavior, but of course that's not pratical or possible. Even so, that still isn't justification for just sitting on your hands and doing nothing (or so I would argue). So we do what we can. In this case, @SFACRKnight has chosen to "vote with his wallet" (so to speak), and no longer provide any financial support to a company that has a history of engaging in underhanded, unscrupulous, and at times illegal behavior. It's also a company that for years has been inimical to the craft beer movement.

    Personally, I've long since stopped buying AB-Inbev products, and I continue to encourage passionate craft beer consumers to do the same. I've heard all the excuses and explanations ("why single AB out; plenty of other people or companies are doing just as bad stuff", "my boycotting AB isn't going to do them any harm; they won't even notice or care", "but what about all the innocent people AB employs; they could all lose their jobs if AB goes under"), but am not persuaded by any of them.

    I/we can't save the world, and I/we can't eliminate all of the bad stuff perpetrated by various entertainers, websites, businesses, etc. However, I can decide that I'm personally not going to put up with all BS I've seen perpetrated by AB over the years, and not buy any more of their damn beer.

    I encourage you to decide to do the same.
     
  17. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    You people sure do read a lot into a simple question.
     
  18. johnInLA

    johnInLA Pooh-Bah (2,286) Jun 12, 2005 California
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    What confounds me more is people living in Belgium opting for imported beer from the Netherlands.

    To each his own.
     
  19. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
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    But Jupiler is an ABInBev brand brewed in Belgium - usually said to be the largest selling brand in Belgium.
     
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  20. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
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    So you agree your question was pretentious and set a precedent from which we should continue our discussion. Excellent. Do you feel that there is only two choices in this debate, either support InBev, or boycott everything that is morally corrupt? In this life I have chosen to be as upstanding as I can. Despite what Nietzsche and Sartre claim I feel there is inherent evil in the maltreatment of a human being, and I choose to avoid spending my money with companies that profit from this evil. It is impossible to keep this moral high ground in every facet of my life, but when it comes to something as unimportant as beer I do my best to be as diligent as possible. So, would you like to engage in this conversation, or would you prefer to simply interject your indignance and pout? In other words defend your position or butt out.
     
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