No Corona Beers for Belize…Yet? 

Caribbean International Brewery Company Limited (CIB) recently expressed concerns regarding a permit that allows the importation of 10,000 cases of Mexican beer, Corona, into the Belizean market. Last week, Prime Minister John Briceño told News Five in an exclusive interview that “There’s been a shortage of Coca-Cola in the market,” but that “not a single bottle has been imported yet.”

According to CIB, Belize has a sufficient supply of beer to meet the demands of both local consumers and tourists. The brewing company says that “allowing the importation of a Mexican beer not only puts local production at a disadvantage but also poses a risk of loss of revenue to the government.” The company questioned the rationale behind promoting Corona instead of supporting Belizean brands like Belikin and Mine.

“We must consider the fact that the consumption of locally produced beer will fall as will the revenues generated in the form of taxes. What about the workers at both beer producing facilities and their families? By allowing the importation of Corona we are also opening up ourselves to a plethora of problems.”

As we reported on Friday, the import permit granted to Goliath Investment Company by the Government of Belize for ten thousand cases of Corona Beer from Mexico has been put on hold. C.E.O. in the Ministry of Agriculture, Servulo Baeza, confirmed to News Five that the permit is paused and no beer has been imported since it was approved a few weeks ago. Goliath Investment Company, which lists shareholders Jose Aldana and Emily Melissa Waight of San Ignacio, was recently registered and is not a member of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Meanwhile, local breweries Bowen & Bowen (Belikin) and Caribbean International Brewing Limited (Mine) remain dissatisfied with the decision to grant the permit initially. With taxes, a case of imported Corona was expected to sell for around $135, amounting to $1.35 million by the final sale. The brewers are particularly concerned about the broader issue of contraband, estimating that for every legally imported case, several more could be smuggled into the country.