PROFILE - CHINA'S BEER INDUSTRY (JAN 2004).

BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The following is a profile of China's beer industry, updated January 2004, with statistics for the first ten months of 2003:

OVERVIEW

* Despite such unfavorable factors as the outbreak of the SARS epidemic in the spring, hikes in raw material prices, and competition from foreign rivals, China's beer industry has still managed to achieve steady growth in production and sales and moderate rise in economic efficiency in 2003.

* After years of development, the country's beer industry has already built up a considerable capacity and the related technological level is also quite high.

* The industry overcame the influence of the SARS epidemic as quickly as in June when the monthly output put an end to negative increase, and by August, the beer production has reached the level in the corresponding period of previous years.

* According to the beer branch of the China Association of Brewery Industry, China's beer output reached 22.7539 million tons in January-October, an increase of 1.15 million tons or 5.35 per cent year on year.

* By month, the output incurred month on month decline in March, April and May, and cumulative decline in April and May. October witnessed the biggest rise.