Sapporo Halts Exports of Pokka Brand to Mideast Amid War Snags

Sapporo Holdings Ltd. suspended exports of its Pokka brand of beverages to the Middle East as escalating tensions involving Iran heighten concerns about demand.

Rising raw material costs, including aluminum, reduced first-quarter profit by about ¥1 billion ($6.33 million), a company spokesperson said Thursday, although those pressures have so far been absorbed through price revisions.