Sales of imported beer at local discount chains grew at a double-digit pace in the first three months of the year as consumers’ taste is shifting in favor of foreign-made beer instead of locally made beer, industry sources and data said Thursday.

The government’s regulation to promote the fair trade of alcoholic beverages was one of the reasons behind a drop in locally made beer sales and a steep growth in imported beer sales, industry sources said.

In January, the National Tax Service launched its revised regulation that limits the value of any giveaway to 5 percent of the price of alcoholic beverages, down from the previous 10 percent.

According to the industry data, imported beer sales at Lotte Mart Co., South Korea’s third-largest discount chain, rose 24.5 percent in January from a year ago, followed by 11.2 percent in February and 34.1 percent in March. (Yonhap News)