Lawmakers To Probe Proposed Beer Merger

Lawmakers To Probe Proposed Beer Merger

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By Nicole Gaudiano for USA Today

Congressional lawmakers will hold a hearing Tuesday on whether a proposal merger of the world’s two largest beer companies would stifle competition.

Some lawmakers worry that Budweiser-makerAnheuser-Busch InBev’s proposal to purchaseSABMiller in a $107 billion deal could hurt craft brewers already competing to get their beer distributed and stocked in bars, restaurants and stores. Since 2011, the number of craft breweries has more than doubled, accounting for 11% of the market.

“This is about market fairness, supporting American small businesses, and protecting real innovators who’re brewing some of the best beer in the world,” Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware said in a statement. Coons is a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, which will hold Tuesday’s hearing.

Marianne Amssoms, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s vice president of global communications, said the hearing offers an opportunity to discuss the “highly competitive” U.S. beer market… CONTINUE READING AT USA TODAY



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