The Brewers Association (BA) in the USA has expressed concerns whether new tariffs could create news pressures for small and independent brewers.
The association submitted comments to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) regarding proposed Section 301 tariffs.
These are tied to investigations examining whether other countries are doing enough to keep goods made with forced labour out of their markets.
While the Brewers Association said it supports efforts to ensure lawful, transparent, and responsible trade, broad new tariffs could add further cost pressures for small and independent U.S. brewers.
In a statement they said: “The proposed tariffs would increase costs on a range of unique foreign brewing inputs that are not always available from domestic sources.
“While North American-sourced barley malt forms the backbone of the supply for domestic brewers, certain specialty malt varieties cannot be readily replaced by U.S. alternatives. Similarly, many brewers rely on specific hop varietals from Australia, the EU, New Zealand, the UK to produce distinct flavors and aromas because their characteristics are tied to specific growing regions.
“Specialised brewing, processing, and packaging equipment such as centrifuges, filters, separators, and dealcoholization systems often come from abroad, particularly the EU, and domestic replacements are not always available. In addition, some specialty beer packaging uses cork closures, which the U.S. does not produce in meaningful amounts.”
According to comments published on the association’s website, the filing also provided an opportunity to underscore the existing tariff burden from Section 232 tariffs on aluminium.
They added: “Close to 80% of all beer produced by small and independent brewers is packaged and sold in aluminium cans. Because the U.S. remains reliant on imported aluminium for can-grade sheet and end stock, tariff volatility continues to increase costs for brewers and consumers.
“Recent changes to the Section 232 aluminium tariffs have placed U.S. brewers at an additional competitive disadvantage by exempting the value of aluminium used to can imported beer, while aluminium cans used by domestic brewers remain subject to tariff-related cost pressures.”
The Brewers Association added that stable North American trade remains a top priority as Canada is a critical supplier of barley and barley malt for U.S. brewers. Independent domestic breweries source roughly 40% of their barley malt needs from Canada.
Continued duty-free treatment for USMCA-origin barley and barley malt is essential, and should extend to Canadian sourced aluminium as well, they added.
The association concluded: “The BA urged USTR to refrain from imposing additional broad-based tariffs that would raise costs for small U.S. manufacturers, increase prices for consumers, and create further uncertainty across the beer supply chain. Maintaining predictable, stable trade remains essential to the competitiveness and long-term health of small and independent breweries across the country.”
