While overall consumption of beer is down slightly in Belgium, the market for specialty beers is growing. As a result, Belgium is importing more beer, despite its 113 breweries that produce more than 450 brands.

Domestic Production

Interbrew, which uses the slogan "The World's Local Brewer," is by far the biggest Belgian producer and the world's second-largest after Anheuser Busch. Since 1970, all of Belgium's beer production increases have been absorbed by its export market. The Belgian Pils lagers are the country's most popular beer exports, with 70 percent going to France and the Netherlands. Interbrew has recently taken a giant step toward increasing its market share in the United States by acquiring Beck's Beer.

Rising Imports

But in recent years, Belgian beer drinkers have been seeking different examples of the beverage. Young people in particular are buying foreign beers, especially from Denmark and Mexico. This increasing demand for specialty beers opens good opportunities for new types. Original tastes and flavors have a good chance to succeed if they are backed by a strong marketing campaign.

BEER 2002

U.S. microbrewers will have an excellent opportunity to sell their products at BEER 2002, which will be held in Brussels, Sept. 26-28, 2002. This is the world's only beer show that focuses exclusively on the beer trade for business people. BEER 2002 has a Web site at: www.beerexportexhibition.com

Here companies can get more information and sign up to participate. The show has been designed to enable brewers from around the world to meet in one place, along with other key members of the industry: mass distribution managers, heads of various brewing federations, and beer importers and exporters.

BEER 2002's objective is not only to offer top managers and professionals from the brewing industry the opportunity to meet. It will also:

* allow them to exchange information and opinions, and present and promote products,

* develop new sales and marketing strategies and

* conclude new alliances and sales agreements with mass distributors and buyers worldwide, who have come to Brussels for these precise reasons.

BEER 2002 will afford companies the chance to negotiate distribution agreements with brewers, specialized distributors and distribution networks. Purchasers from major airline, hotel and catering groups, restaurants, hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores will also attend the show.

The author is an agricultural marketing specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Tel.: (011-32-2) 508-2437; Fax: (011-32-2) 508-2148; E-mail: agbrussels@fas.usda.gov

For details, see FAS Report BE1039. To find it on the Web, start at www.fas.usda.gov, select Attache Reports and follow the prompts.