Experts comment on canned beer consumption in Russia

According to expert forecasts, the consumption of canned beer will reachthe level of 10 cans per capita per year in 2002, the Russian office ofRexam, producer of aluminum cans for beverages, reported. The company'sanalysts say that the Russian beer market stands out on the background ofthe European market. In particular, the market of cans for beer doubled inRussia last year. Russia's beer market ranks second in Europe following theGerman beer market.However, Rexam points out, the level of canned beer consumption is stillrather low in Russia. In Germany, 50 cans of beer annually are sold percapita. According to the company, the majority of large Russian brewerieshave already started or are planning to start producing canned beer. Theshare of canned beer on the Russian market in 1999 was only 0.4 percent andit was 7 percent in 2001. Some experts forecast that this figure willadvance to 17 percent in 2002. .