Consumers drink beer at the 2026 Shenyang Snowflake International Beer Carnival in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on Aug 7. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

　　The country's beer market is no longer growing through simple volume expansion. Instead, the sector is entering a new phase where companies are competing for share through premium products, stronger brands and more targeted consumer occasions.

　　In the first half of 2026, leading brewers including China Resources Beer and Yanjing Beer delivered broad-based growth, driven by premiumization and the rise of higher-value price segments.

　　Beer output among enterprises above designated size reached 19.36 million kiloliters from January to June, up 0.2 percent year-on-year, according to industry data.

　　The performance highlighted a widening gap between domestic and international brewers. While local players gained momentum by strengthening their mid-to-high-end offerings, foreign brands such as Budweiser APAC continued to struggle with shifting consumer habits and weaker demand in traditional premium channels.

　　China Resources Beer, the country's largest brewer by sales volume, reported first-half beer sales volume growth of 1.7 percent, with beer revenue rising 2.2 percent and profit increasing 1.2 percent. Overall revenue reached 24.24 billion yuan ($3.6 billion), up 1.2 percent year-on-year.

　　Average selling prices increased 0.5 percent, while profit from the beer segment continued to grow when excluding one-off items.

　　Growth was mainly driven by sub-premium and premium products. Brands including Heineken and Amstel continued to gain consumer recognition, with sales volume in China Resources Beer's sub-premium segment rising 10 percent year-on-year.