While American breweries have been classified “essential businesses,” and therefore are allowed to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic, the same is not true in other parts of the world.
On Thursday, Grupo Modelo, the Mexican-based parent company of Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, and other brands, announced in a press release that it will suspend beer production and marketing operations on Sunday, April 5, in compliance with a government order shutting down all non-essential businesses.
The statement notes that agriculture and food production are still considered essential by the Mexican government, and says that, if the government decides to clarify that beer production also counts as “agro-industry,” it is prepared to resume production with 75 percent of its employees working from home.
Modelo is “one of the first companies in Mexico to have implemented and strictly followed the hygiene and safety measures recommended by the Mexican Government and the World Health Organization,” the statement adds.
Mexico has been the top source of imported beer in the U.S. since 2013, with a customs value of almost $4 billion in 2019. Of the top 25 best-selling beer brands sold in the U.S. in 2019, four were produced by Grupo Modelo.
