Heineken to axe 130 jobs, phase out large-scale beer production at Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore
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Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore's current production facility in Tuas will be redeveloped to support regional logistics and product development, including a pilot brewery to test new products.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
SINGAPORE – Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore (APBS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Heineken, will closing down large-scale brewing operations in the Republic over the next two years, a move that will involve the axing of 130 roles here, the Dutch brewer said on March 24.
Production will be reallocated to existing regional breweries in Malaysia and Vietnam by 2027.
The brewer, which produces Heineken and Tiger, will instead import beer from the region. The move is not expected to affect beer prices here.
APBS’ current production facility in Tuas will be redeveloped to support regional logistics and product development, including a pilot brewery to test new products.
In a statement, Heineken said the shift to an import-based supply model over the next two years is part of a move to build “a more agile and regionally integrated supply network”.
Imported beers already make up about half of the Singapore market, with Malaysia, Vietnam and China among the key source markets.
About 130 roles are expected to be affected over the next two years, as operational changes are implemented in stages until the end of 2027.
APBS said it has informed the relevant government agencies and is working with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU), an affiliate of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), to support affected employees.
Support measures include severance packages based on tenure, job placement assistance, training and reskilling programmes with NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), as well as counselling and well-being services, Heineken’s statement said.
A Heineken spokesperson noted that the move is a “long-term structural decision grounded in several years of careful assessment” of the brewer’s operating environment and evolving supply chain needs.
The spokesperson added that the transformation strengthens – rather than diminishes – Singapore’s importance to Heineken, noting that the Republic’s new role, focused on innovation and branding, will create new and higher-value roles for workers here.
FDAWU general secretary Sankaradass S. Chami said the union had been engaged in advance and worked with APBS to ensure affected employees are treated fairly.
“Through close union-management engagement, we have worked to ensure that affected employees are treated fairly with negotiated severance packages and are supported responsibly, including access to the necessary employment and career support as they move forward.”
In a separate statement, the Singapore Economic Development Board said it is working with Heineken, Workforce Singapore and e2i to support affected employees, including facilitating job placements.
The latest move comes after Heineken announced in February that it would slash up to 6,000 jobs, or around 7 per cent of its global workforce, over the next two years to cut costs as beer demand falters.
The world’s second-largest brewer after AB InBev said overall beer volumes were down 2.4 per cent in 2025, led by slower demand in Europe.
Heineken gained full control of Asia Pacific Breweries after acquiring Singapore company Fraser & Neave’s stake in the Tiger beer brewer for $7.9 billion in November 2012.
