It’s been a tough time for craft brewers. Earlier this year, Axios reported that the industry’s revenue had dropped 4% in 2024. Meanwhile, The New York Times asked, “Has the Craft Beer Industry’s Keg Finally Kicked?” at the end of last year. And for craft brewers looking to stay afloat, there’s more bad news on the way: A recent decision by the U.S. government is likely to increase the cost of aluminum cans for many breweries.
Earlier today, the Brewers Association, a trade organization representing breweries in the United States, updated its members about a development in tariff policies that was likely to affect them. “The U.S. Department of Commerce recently added can ends and lids to the Section 232 list of aluminum derivatives,” the organization stated. They went on to note that this decision could result in can end and lid importers being “subject to tariffs or licensing requirements.”
The announcement was first reported by Dave Infante of the newsletter Fingers. He also pointed out that the tariff is currently set to 50%. To state the obvious, this is something that could quickly cause craft beer can prices (as well as a lot of other canned beverages) to rise.
In an Era of Craft Beer Malaise, Talea’s Still Thriving
Instead of preaching to the choir, Tara Hankinson and LeAnn Darland built their New York brewery to serve a wider audience. It’s paying off.Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced tariffs on imported beer and aluminum cans themselves. For their part, the Brewers Association stated they would “provide updates as more details become available, including any changes in tariff rates, licensing procedures or country exemptions.” For now, this looks like another obstacle for breweries to navigate in an already-threatening environment.
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