Tariffs

Government Affairs: Congressional Majority Now Supports Tax Reform for Brewers and Importers; Trade Groups Urge Trump to Rethink Tariffs on Mexico

Government Affairs: Congressional Majority Now Supports Tax Reform for Brewers and Importers; Trade Groups Urge Trump to Rethink Tariffs on Mexico

Alcohol producers’ efforts to make excise tax relief permanent reached another milestone today, as a majority of Congress now supports the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA). In a joint announcement, seven alcohol industry trade groups said a bill to permanently enact tax cuts for alcohol producers and importers now has 218 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Last Call: President Trump to Impose New Tariffs on Mexico; North Coast Co-Founder Retires

Last Call: President Trump to Impose New Tariffs on Mexico; North Coast Co-Founder Retires

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Nearly two weeks after lifting aluminum and steel tariffs imposed against Mexico and Canada, President Donald Trump has reversed course and announced plans to levy a 5 percent duty on all goods from Mexico over immigration — bringing the issue back into the taproom. Plus, North Coast co-founder Mark Ruedrich announces his retirement.

US Lifts Aluminum and Steel Tariffs on Canada, Mexico

US Lifts Aluminum and Steel Tariffs on Canada, Mexico

Nearly a year after imposing aluminum and steel tariffs against Canada and Mexico, the Trump administration today officially lifted levies imposed upon the two longtime trade allies. Ending tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from Canada and Mexico marks a significant moment for the beer industry, as about 43 percent of aluminum used by U.S. beverage companies comes from Canada, according to Washington, D.C.-based trade group the Beer Institute (BI).

Platts to Publish Alternative Prices for Non-Tariffed Aluminum and Scrap Metal

Platts to Publish Alternative Prices for Non-Tariffed Aluminum and Scrap Metal

A month after a bipartisan group of Congressional members called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate potential irregularities in the aluminum market, Platts, the group responsible for helping set the price of the metal purchased by thousands of U.S. beer companies, has vowed to offer greater transparency into current price assessments. Platts, which is owned by Standard & Poor’s and bills itself as “the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets,” last week announced that it would begin publishing alternative pricing for non-tariffed aluminum and domestically available scrap, starting August 1.