OREANDA-NEWS. On 10 July 2008 was announced, that Baltika Breweries started direct export shipments to two additional European countries — Romania and Hungary. In the summer season, the assortment available in these two countries will include Baltika №3 Classic, Baltika №5 Gold, Baltika №7 Export, Baltika №8 Wheat and Baltika №9 Extra beer. Thus, the number of Baltika’s export markets has increased to a nice round number — fifty.

Entering the Romanian and Hungarian markets is an important step in the development of Baltika’s export activities. In recent years, these two countries have provided evidence of economic growth, including rising purchasing power among the population. Consequently demand for more expensive premium goods has been increasing.

The beer market in Hungary is showing confident growth. Packaged beer enjoys greater popularity than draught beer. Around 90% of the beer market in Hungary goes to lager varieties, though one can observe a significant growth in consumption of special varieties of the beverage with a foamy head: dark and wheat beer. The price of Baltika beer in Hungary comes to around 2 Euros per 0.5-litre bottle. You can find Baltika in the largest supermarket chain, Tesco, as well as in the Russian stores ‘Arbat’ across the whole territory of the country. Baltika Breweries’ partner in Hungary, the company Toptelfon, intends to ensure that the product varieties of Russia’s largest brewer are very quickly put on shelves in the majority of points of sale around the country.

The headlong development of this export area is linked, among other things, to changes in Russian-Romanian political and economic relations, which have been coming alive lately, and to propitious conditions for foreign trade activity: goods from Russia are not subject to import duties. Company experts at Baltika believe it is possible to sell 100,000 litres or more of product in Romania during the course of 2008.

Baltika Breweries is already successfully exporting beer to fifteen countries of the European Union, including Germany, Ireland, Portugal, France, Greece, Latvia and Malta. During 2007, the rise in export sales in this region amounted to 19%.

Baltika Breweries is the largest FMCG producer in Russia. Ever since 1996, it has been the leader on the Russian beer market. The Company comprises 11 breweries across all of Russia. It has a broad portfolio of brands and more than 12,000 employees. Baltika Breweries is the leading exporter of Russian beer to foreign countries both near and far, accounting for 70% of all export shipments of Russian beer. Baltika products are exported to 50 countries around the world.