Lion Brewery resumes exports after two-month hiatus

Sri Lanka’s largest exporter of alcoholic beverages, Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, has resumed exports after a lapse of two months owing to the COVID-19 related constraints. The company said it was compelled to halt production and dispatch for nearly two months due to the curfew following the national crisis of the global novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

With the resumption of production and economic activity in the country, Lion has already produced and dispatched several containers of beer to Uganda, UAE, USA, Canada, South Korea and Australia. The Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC exports its produce to over 30 countries across the world. 

In most of Lion’s export markets, off-trade outlets such as liquor and beer stores and supermarkets remained opened even during lockdown, even in countries such as the UAE, USA and Australia. In Africa which contributes a significant part of the Lion brewery export business, was largely unaffected by the pandemic and buyers expressed urgency to receive their orders. 

Having successfully concluded the last financial year in March, with a record growth of 49% in its export business and over 1,000 containers exported, the Lion brewery is hopeful of diversifying its markets and attracting new business in the current financial year, in order to mitigate shortfalls in markets that have been seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Global consumers and Sri Lankans living overseas can now again enjoy world-class Lion beers,” the company said in a statement.