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Anheuser-Busch InBev is being investigated for road-blocking beer imports into Belgium

July 6, 2016Keith Gribbins

Voltron beer ab inbev
Defender of the almighty dollar.

Anheuser-Busch InBev is a big company. Sometimes big companies think they can play a little loosey-goosey with the law (or hell, maybe that’s everyone) or extend regulatory boundaries to accommodate them. And they are usually right. Money and power can be good for that. But occasionally, those big companies come under scrutiny for such seemingly unethical practices. Today’s accusation comes from the EU, which is looking into AB InBev for antitrust practices that may be preventing less expensive Dutch and French beer from being sold into the company’s home base of Belgium. From Bloomberg:

The European Commission will probe whether changing beer packaging or limiting rebates for non-Belgian retailers hinders imports to Belgium, according to an emailed statement. The EU regulator’s “preliminary view is that AB InBev may be pursuing a deliberate strategy to restrict so-called parallel trade of its beer.”

The commission last month approved AB InBev’s $104 billion bid to buy beer rival SABMiller Plc after the companies agreed to sell almost all of SABMiller’s business in Europe to allay concerns it could control the region’s beer market. Today’s antitrust probe could pave the way to fines or an order to change business practices.

Apparently, AB InBev has 53 percent share of Belgium’s beer market, and this is not the first time the company has been under scrutiny for less-than-legal practices over in Europe. Back to Bloomberg:

The brewer of Budweiser … was previously probed by the EU for colluding to fix prices in the Netherlands. It escaped fines in 2007 because it was the first to tell the commission about the cartel.

…

EU regulators separately ordered Belgium to claim back tax from the company earlier this year after ruling illegal a tax break offered to multinationals operating in the country.

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Comments

  1. BeerLovesCo says

    July 14, 2016 at 4:47 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Anheuser-Busch InBev is being investigated for road-blocking beer imports into Belgium. https://t.co/vqNHumvOxZ https:…

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  2. Lost_Follicle says

    July 11, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Anheuser-Busch InBev is being investigated for road-blocking beer imports into Belgium. https://t.co/vqNHumvOxZ https:…

    Log in to Reply
  3. cammcm says

    July 11, 2016 at 11:11 am

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Anheuser-Busch InBev is being investigated for road-blocking beer imports into Belgium. https://t.co/vqNHumvOxZ https:…

    Log in to Reply
  4. BlindBatBrewer says

    July 11, 2016 at 11:04 am

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Anheuser-Busch InBev is being investigated for road-blocking beer imports into Belgium. https://t.co/vqNHumvOxZ https:…

    Log in to Reply
  5. Swisslc says

    July 7, 2016 at 9:23 am

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Anheuser-Busch InBev is being investigated for road-blocking beer imports into Belgium. https://t.co/vqNHumvOxZ https:…

    Log in to Reply
  6. KCHopTalk says

    July 6, 2016 at 4:40 pm

    Anheuser-Busch InBev is being investigated for road-blocking beer imports into Belgium https://t.co/6AUaY7gnTL https://t.co/XnSYTB7veg

    Log in to Reply
  7. Beall Brewery Insurance says

    July 6, 2016 at 4:06 pm

    Beall Brewery Insurance liked this on Facebook.

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  8. LVRGLLC says

    July 6, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    #CraftBeer #CraftBrewing #Beer #BeerBiz Anheuser-Busch InBev is being investigated for road-blocking beer impor… https://t.co/gMPH8v5Mex

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  9. Danny Danny says

    July 6, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    Just one, of the many many reasons, beer lovers should avoid anything that AB-InBev is involved with. Leslie – They make too much money breaking the law and hoping they don’t get caught – so much so it’s quite affordable to pay any fines when/if they do get caught.

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  10. crsimp01 says

    July 6, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    Anheuser-Busch InBev investigated for blocking beer imports in Belgium https://t.co/CrNlzPBHk9 via @craftbrewingbiz

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  11. Beargrylls Sum says

    July 6, 2016 at 11:37 am

    Beargrylls Sum liked this on Facebook.

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  12. BeerzHerez says

    July 6, 2016 at 11:31 am

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Anheuser-Busch InBev is being investigated for road-blocking beer imports into Belgium. https://t.co/Smh5aq4KFk

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  13. Leslie Chasse says

    July 6, 2016 at 11:11 am

    Big companies have deep pockets. They can afford to push the limits of the laws and rules, then pay their buildings full of lawyers to get them off. They also pay politicians to pass laws to make their illegality, legal!

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  14. AkronAleFest says

    July 6, 2016 at 11:06 am

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Anheuser-Busch InBev is being investigated for road-blocking beer imports into Belgium. https://t.co/Smh5aq4KFk

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  15. Brian Hanes says

    July 6, 2016 at 10:51 am

    Brian Hanes liked this on Facebook.

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  16. David Lucas says

    July 6, 2016 at 10:51 am

    David Lucas liked this on Facebook.

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