According to data released by the Federal Statistics Office, German beer exports increased by 5% in the first half of 2003.

The sharpest rise was seen in Italy where exports rose by 18% to almost €91m (US$107m). Exports to the EU as a whole rose by 9.5% to €234m (US$274m), while sales to the US fell slightly to €77m (US$90m). However, sales to Canada rose by 3% to €6m (US$7m).