2022 imports of non-alcoholic beverages seen hitting $120M

THE country’s imports of non-alcoholic beverages (NABS) in 2022, which includes sodas, milk teas and juices, could have expanded by a fourth to $120 million with the reopening of the economy.

In a report, the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila (USDA-FAS Manila) estimated that the country’s demand for NABS grew last year as the hospitality and food service sectors recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The demand for non-alcoholic beverages is set to rise as the hospitality and foodservice sectors recover from Covid-19 pandemic restrictions,” USDA-FAS Manila said in its Global Agricultural Information Network (Gain) report.

“Traders forecast exports of NAB to the Philippines in 2022 will climb to $120 million, up 25 percent yearon-year,” it added. The Philippines imported $96-million worth of NABS in 2021.

“Continued growth in imported non-alcoholic beverage consumption is underscored by the country’s young, fast growing, and highly urbanized population, and the still relatively low consumption,” the USDA-FAS Manila said while noting that imported NABS account for less than two percent of total NAB consumption in the country.

Thailand is the Philippines’s top supplier of NABS, accounting for 36 percent of the market share, followed by the United States at 12 percent, according to the USDA-FAS Manila. The Philippines also imports NABS from China, South Korea, Belgium and Indonesia.

“Exports from these countries account for almost 80 percent of total NAB exported to the Philippines in 2021,” the USDA-FAS Manila said.

The top imported NAB products include the following brands: Blue Diamond Almond Breeze; Dutch Mill; Mineshine; Mogu Mogu; Redbull; Vitamilk; A&W; Arizona; Blue Isle; Canada Dry; Dr. Pepper; and, Monster, among others.

The USDA-FAS Manila said the United States exports of NAB to the Philippines in 2022 were projected to expand by 20 percent to $13.6 million from $11.4 million in 2021.

“Prospects for growth are exceptionally bright due to the strong presence of US brands and a general preference among consumers for US food and beverage products,” the USDA-FAS Manila said.

Overall, the Philippines’s top consumed NAB are carbonated drinks led by Coca-cola followed by Mountain Dew, Royal Tru Orange, Sprite, Pepsi and RC Cola. The top juices consumed in the country are under the following brands: Del Monte; Zest-o; Tropicana; and, Minute Maid.