AB InBev among top brewers waiting to pounce as Vietnam opens up market
HO CHI MINH CITY — The world’s largest brewers from Europe to Asia are lining up for a chance to buy a stake in Vietnam’s top beer maker, in a deal worth at least $1.8bn, as consumption in the Southeast Asian country surges.Dutch brewer Heineken, Anheuser-Busch InBev and merger partner SABMiller, as well as Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings and Kirin Holdings were among seven foreign companies that had registered to bid for stakes in Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage (Sabeco), CEO Le Hong Xanh said."Sabeco doesn’t care if the buyer is an international or domestic company," Xanh said. "All we care about is who will pay the most. The government wants to sell its stakes as soon as possible."The deal is garnering interest from foreign beer brands attracted by Vietnam’s young population and rising middle class in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.Its government is divesting stakes in its two market-leading brewers as a growing budget deficit forces the leadership to accelerate a plan to...
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