SANTO DOMINGO.-  Beer consumption fell 2.7% in the first four months compared to the same year ago period, from 5.9 million liters to 5.7 million liters, or 163,335 lower.

Beer consumption last year climbed 2.9% higher than the previous year however, from 18.4 million liters to 18.9 million liters, or 558,295 liters more, according to Internal Taxes Agency (DGII) figures cited by diariolibre.com.

 January beer consumption was 1.3 million liters, rising to 1.4 million in liters February; 1.6 million in March, but fell to 1.4 million liters in April.

The 2.2 million liters in December last year led all months in consumption, while the highest consumption in the last five years occurred in 2011, with 18.9 million liters.

The DGII’s figures for rum consumption also reveal a 1.7% decline of 58.5 million liters, from 3.4 million in the first 4 months last year to 3.3 million in the same period this year.

Cigarettes

Cigarette sales declared to the DGII in the first four months this year were 600.9 million units, compared with 632.0 million in the same year ago period, or 4.9% lower.

Higher exports

Despite the local declining consumption of rum, beer and cigarettes, the country’s exports of rum and tobacco are on the rise to Europe, while Dominican beer starts to gain market share in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

The country’s exports of those products were US$126.0 million to October 2011.