{"id":91700,"date":"2020-12-15T19:21:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/english-alcohol-justice-asks-california-ag-xavier-becerra-to-investigate-anticompetitive-anheuser-busch-inbev-takeover-of-ace-beverage-llc\/"},"modified":"2020-12-15T20:24:03","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T00:24:03","slug":"alcohol-justice-le-solicita-al-fiscal-general-de-california-xavier-becerra-investigar-la-adquisicion-anticompetitiva-de-ace-beverage-llc-por-parte-de-anheuser-busch-inbev","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/alcohol-justice-le-solicita-al-fiscal-general-de-california-xavier-becerra-investigar-la-adquisicion-anticompetitiva-de-ace-beverage-llc-por-parte-de-anheuser-busch-inbev\/","title":{"rendered":"Alcohol Justice Asks California AG Xavier Becerra to Investigate Anticompetitive Anheuser-Busch InBev Takeover of Ace Beverage LLC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><![CDATA[\n\/* Style Definitions *\/\nspan.prnews_span\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\na.prnews_a\n{\ncolor:blue;\n}\nli.prnews_li\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\np.prnews_p\n{\nfont-size:0.62em;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\nmargin:0in;\n}\n.prngen2{\nBORDER-TOP:1pt; BORDER-RIGHT:1pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: BOTTOM; BORDER-BOTTOM:1pt; PADDING-LEFT:0.50em; BORDER-LEFT:1pt; PADDING-RIGHT:0.50em\n}\n.prntblns{\nBORDER-TOP: 1pt; BORDER-RIGHT: 1pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: 1pt\n}\n]]><\/style>\n<div class=\"xn-content\">\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">SAN FRANCISCO<\/span>, <span class=\"xn-chron\">Dec. 15, 2020<\/span> \/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE\/ &#8212;\u00a0Alcohol Justice sent a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3013004-1&amp;h=3574896875&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Falcoholjustice.org%2Fimages%2Fdownloadables%2FABI%2FAG-Becerra-Alcohol-Justice-Antitrust-request-1.pdf&amp;a=letter\" rel=\"nofollow\">letter<\/a> to <span class=\"xn-location\">California<\/span> Attorney General <span class=\"xn-person\">Xavier Becerra<\/span> requesting a full-scale investigation of recent actions in the state by Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI). Alcohol Justice believes ABI is in violation of <span class=\"xn-location\">California&#8217;s<\/span> Cartwright Act and federal antitrust statutes, case law, and a 2018 federal court consent agreement.<\/p>\n<div id=\"prni_dvprnejpg90c1left\" style=\"WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: left\" dir=\"ltr\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"prnejpg90c1left\" title=\"Alcohol Justice logo\" style=\"HEIGHT: 219px; WIDTH: 400px\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Alcohol Justice logo\" align=\"middle\" src=\"https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/147418\/alcohol_justice_logo.jpg\" imagelabel=\"General\"\/><\/div>\n<p><i>&#8220;Anheuser-Busch InBev is not content with its global, national and state dominance of beer manufacturing and is now seeking anticompetitive market power in <span class=\"xn-location\">California<\/span> by buying up distributors like Ace Beverage LLC of <span class=\"xn-location\">Los Angeles<\/span>,&#8221; <\/i>stated <span class=\"xn-person\">Bruce Lee Livingston<\/span>, Executive Director\/CEO of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3013004-1&amp;h=2785728812&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Falcoholjustice.org%2F&amp;a=Alcohol+Justice.\" rel=\"nofollow\">Alcohol Justice.<\/a><i> &#8220;Alcohol Justice has asked for a full-scale investigation by California AG Xavier Becerra of anticompetitive and unfair trade practices by ABI, led by their out-going CEO <span class=\"xn-person\">Carlos Brito<\/span>.&#8221;<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Alcohol Justice&#8217;s <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3013004-1&amp;h=1654006045&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Falcoholjustice.org%2Fimages%2Fdownloadables%2FABI%2FAG-Becerra-Alcohol-Justice-Antitrust-request-1.pdf&amp;a=letter+to+Becerra\" rel=\"nofollow\">letter to Becerra<\/a> outlines in detail its concerns, including:<\/p>\n<p><i>&#8220;The monopoly power potential of ABI in <span class=\"xn-location\">California<\/span> is already great. With significant control in the distribution network as well, ABI can:<\/i><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><i>Potentially get inside information on retail activity at nearly every store, on-sale ABC licensee, or small producer.<\/i> <\/li>\n<li><i>Lower and raise beer prices at will.<\/i> <\/li>\n<li><i>Offer generous promotions and swag to retail tier purchasers to force out competitive brands.<\/i> <\/li>\n<li><i>Make it difficult for craft brew producers to get onto their trucks, while under lock-down conditions the craft brew industry is already suffering great economic stress.<\/i> <\/li>\n<li><i>Diminish distribution market share for any remaining independent distributors, forcing them out of business or forcing them to sell their assets and routes to ABI at deep discounts.&#8221;<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3013004-1&amp;h=4137315976&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Falcoholjustice.org%2F&amp;a=Alcohol+Justice\" rel=\"nofollow\">Alcohol Justice<\/a>\u00a0Board President <span class=\"xn-person\">Richard Zaldivar<\/span>, the founder of The Wall \u2013 Las Memorias (a community-based health prevention non-profit), said, <i>&#8220;The diverse population of <span class=\"xn-location\">Los Angeles<\/span> is already suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and does not need cheap beer products in our neighborhoods or struggling mom and pop small business retailers under the thumb of a global corporation like Anheuser-Busch InBev. The middle tier of beer distribution in <span class=\"xn-location\">Los Angeles<\/span> needs protection from unfair business practices.&#8221;<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The Alcohol Justice <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3013004-1&amp;h=3574896875&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Falcoholjustice.org%2Fimages%2Fdownloadables%2FABI%2FAG-Becerra-Alcohol-Justice-Antitrust-request-1.pdf&amp;a=letter\" rel=\"nofollow\">letter<\/a> offers the possibility that ABI&#8217;s recent acquisitions in the state and its dramatically expanded market position could violate the spirit, if not the actual letter, of the <span class=\"xn-chron\">October 2018<\/span> US District Court for the <span class=\"xn-location\">District of Columbia<\/span> final judgement and order.\u00a0 By agreeing to that consent decree, ABI was allowed to purchase the world&#8217;s second major beer producer, SAB Miller-Coors.\u00a0 The court-approved settlement decree is supposedly monitored by the federal government to prevent over-concentration and undue influence by the behemoth manufacturer.<\/p>\n<p><i>&#8220;Alcohol Justice believes that <span class=\"xn-location\">California&#8217;s<\/span> antitrust law \u2013 the Cartwright Act, other statutes and case law \u2013 are relevant and being violated,&#8221; <\/i>added Livingston. <i>&#8220;And therefore, it is appropriate for Attorney General Becerra to investigate and prosecute, even if a federal response does not occur from the Department of Justice.&#8221;<\/i><\/p>\n<div>\n<table id=\"convertedTable1090\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"1\" class=\"prntblns\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"prngen2\">\n<p class=\"prnews_p\"><span class=\"prnews_span\"><b>CONTACT<\/b>: <\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"prngen2\">\n<p class=\"prnews_p\"><span class=\"prnews_span\">Michael Scippa (415) 548-0492<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"prngen2\"><\/td>\n<td class=\"prngen2\">\n<p class=\"prnews_p\"><span class=\"prnews_span\">Jorge Castillo (213) 840-3336<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>Logo &#8211; <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3013004-1&amp;h=933531387&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fmma.prnewswire.com%2Fmedia%2F147418%2Falcohol_justice_logo.jpg&amp;a=https%3A%2F%2Fmma.prnewswire.com%2Fmedia%2F147418%2Falcohol_justice_logo.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/147418\/alcohol_justice_logo.jpg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>SOURCE  Alcohol Justice<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"xn-content\">\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">SAN FRANCISCO<\/span>, <span class=\"xn-chron\">Dec. 15, 2020<\/span> \/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE\/ &#8212;\u00a0Alcohol Justice sent a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3013004-1&amp;h=3574896875&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Falcoholjustice.org%2Fimages%2Fdownloadables%2FABI%2FAG-Becerra-Alcohol-Justice-Antitrust-request-1.pdf&amp;a=letter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">letter<\/a> to <span class=\"xn-location\">California<\/span> Attorney General <span class=\"xn-person\">Xavier Becerra<\/span> requesting a full-scale investigation of recent&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":91701,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-comida-y-bebida"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91700\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}