A-B InBev faces 'abuse' probe

A-B InBev is facing an investigation by Belgian authorities after a government minister suggested the firm is abusing its position as the world’s largest brewer.  

Economy minister Vincent van Quickenborne made the comments about the firm’s decision earlier this year to double the period its suppliers must wait for payment to 120 days.  

If suppliers have no choice but to accept A-B InBev’s new terms, then “it could be an abuse of a dominant position”, van Quickenborne told Belgian public broadcaster VRT.   

The minister has reportedly asked the Belgian competition authorities to look into the matter. A spokeswoman at A-B InBev’s Leuven headquarters told BG today that the firm has not “received any official notification of a complaint”.  

She added: “In case we do, we will off course collaborate and be available to answer all questions. Let me stress that A-B InBev respects local laws and regulations as they apply and always respects its contractual obligations.”  

In the US this weekend it emerged that manufacturer and technology supplier Emerson is boycotting all A-B InBev products - such as Budweiser, Stella and Beck's - in protest of measures the brewer has put in place in recent months.  

In a memo leaked to the US press Emerson accused the brewer of adopting a “take it or leave it” attitude to payment periods and slashing charity payments since InBev bought Anheuser-Busch for a record $52 billion last year.  

A-B InBev has said in earlier statements it was forced to extend payment periods by the global recession and has pledged to help its suppliers through the transition period.