Japanese brands rule import beer market

Japanese beer is gaining popularity in Korea despite carrying higher prices than local beer, according to a new government report.

The Korea Customs Service yesterday said $13.22 million worth of beer was imported from Japan in the first half of the year, accounting for 33.5 percent of the foreign beer market.?

Although Japanese beer is the most expensive import, it had the largest share of the foreign beer market, the government agency noted.

The average import price of Japanese beer is $1.08 per liter, compared to the $0.93 average of all other foreign beer. U.S. beer is the cheapest at $0.64 per liter.

The total amount of imported beer?in the first six months of the year stood at?$39 million, up 21 percent from a year earlier.

The country’s foreign beer market has been expanding for the past three years, with 43 countries currently represented. Last year, the market was $73.59 million with beer from 34 countries.?