Hong Kong (CNN Business) Beer guzzlers are feeling the impact of the South Korea-Japan trade war.

Japanese trade data released on Thursday showed beer exports to South Korea plunged to zero last month from 800 million yen ($7.3 million) a year earlier, amid boycotts sparked by an escalating trade spat between the Asian neighbors.

The standoff started in July when Tokyo placed export controls on chemicals that are vital to South Korea's tech industry. Then in August, Japan dropped South Korea as a preferred trading partner -- prompting Seoul to respond in kind

Some South Korean shops and customers took it a step further, calling for boycotts of all Japanese goods.

Japanese beer was an easy target. South Korea bought 7.9 billion yen ($73 million) worth of Japanese beer in 2018, or about two thirds of the country's beer exports, according to trade data from Japan's finance ministry. That makes South Korea by far Japan's largest beer customer.

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