Uruguay's only industrial brewer negotiates cutting 80 jobs or ending production
Fábricas Nacionales de Cerveza (FNC), Uruguay's only industrial beer producer, is negotiating with the government and the trade union a restructuring that would cut 80 of the 400 jobs at its Montevideo and Minas plants. The company keeps a second scenario on the table, which the parties involved regard as less likely: abandoning local production and operating as an importer, with a workforce…
Fábricas Nacionales de Cerveza (FNC), Uruguay's sole industrial beer producer, is engaging in negotiations with the government and labor union to reduce 80 out of 400 jobs at its Montevideo and Minas plants. The company is also considering an alternative scenario, which involves abandoning local production and functioning as an importer with a workforce of around 100 employees.
FNC, owned by Brazil's Ambev subsidiary of AB InBev, currently employs over 500 people and produces beer under the Pilsen, Patricia, Norteña, and Zillertal brands. The company attributes its restructuring proposal to increased competitiveness costs, with brewing in Uruguay being twice as expensive as in Argentina or Brazil due to logistics, labor, and tax expenses.
Despite not making a loss, FNC closed 2025 with a profit of around 20 million dollars, following five years of earnings ranging from 7 to 17 million dollars. The company's market share has decreased from 90% in 2010 to around 70% in 2025, as imported beer, mainly Brazilian cans, has gained popularity. Imported beer's share of Uruguayan consumption rose from 3% in 2010 to a third in 2020 and surpassed domestic production in 2025.
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