Maine's craft beer industry is bracing for the possibility of tariffs on imported steel and aluminum starting next month.
Most breweries in the state can their beer, said Sarah Bryan, the executive director of the Maine Brewer's Guild.
They often source aluminum cans directly from Canadian companies or purchase cans domestically that were manufactured with Canadian aluminum.
Only one or two Maine brewers consistently bottle their beer, Bryan said.
"Ninety-plus percent of our membership would be affected by higher aluminum costs," she said. "And it would raise their costs of goods, and inevitably that cost would get passed down to consumers, which is challenging in an already inflationary market."
Bottling beer instead would require significant operational changes for most Maine brewers.
"[It] could take up to $100,000 worth of investment," Bryan said. "It could take up to a year of time, which isn't conducive to breweries that are putting beer out in the market every week, every day sometimes, canning every day. That would be, I would say, an operational non-starter."
And while some brewers are trying to stockpile aluminum cans, Bryan said most don't have the space or the money to purchase a larger supply before potential tariffs go into effect.
In addition, the tariffs would pause most brewery expansion plans, because fermentation tanks are made with steel, she added.
The Maine Brewers Guild is speaking with members of the state's congressional delegation about the challenges that steel and aluminum tariffs would have on the industry. And Bryan said brewers are also concerned that a deteriorating relationship with Canada could impact Maine's summer tourism season, especially after visitation dipped by 9% in 2024.
