Politico - Klobuchar Continues Battling Beer-Giant Merger

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By Ian Kullgren

The Justice Department earlier this month was reportedly close to allowing the merger of Anheuser Busch InBev and SABMiller to create a $107 billion beer behemoth. But Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar hasn't given up her fight against the deal, asking DOJ in a letter Wednesday to investigate the prospect of small craft brewers losing access to wholesalers. The second-term Democrat says she's heard from a number of brewers and independent wholesalers that ABI is "acquiring multiple craft brands and implementing incentive programs to ensure only the smallest craft brewers have access to retail outlets."

ABI has acquired seven craft brewers since 2014, Klobuchar notes. "Although each acquired company was small, each had a significant regional presence, and the series of acquisitions may raise concerns," she says. "If ABI can offer a full line of former craft beers, it may be able to coerce independent wholesalers into replacing craft brewers' products with ABI's newly acquired brands."

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