Editorial: Hold my beer — aluminum tariffs could drive up costs for Illinois craft brewers

Chicago Tribune

12-02-2025

Americans like beer. On Super Bowl Sunday, some experts estimate Americans drank about 325 million gallons of it.
A day after the big game, however, President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The beer industry is rightfully concerned about this issue — aluminum is the single largest input cost in American beer production, according to the Beer Institute.
'It's a big deal. This is the beginning of making America rich again,' Trump said from the Oval Office. 'All you have to do is make it in the United States, we don't need it from another country.'
Though many people often feel removed from what happens in D.C., politics doesn't occur in a vacuum. The real-world consequences of these tariffs will certainly be felt in both big and small ways across our city and state.
Illinois is home to over 300 breweries, which contribute over $3 billion to our state's economy. One of those craft brewers is Solemn Oath based in Naperville. Owner John Barley said their aluminum supplier is local and he hasn't been alerted to any major spikes in pricing yet. But he's worried, having just soldiered through the pandemic-related supply chain challenges many other businesses faced, and says his customers are sensitive to price increases.
We understand the desire to spur American steel production, but broad tariffs are sure to hamper growth and jobs in other industries that must pay the protectionist bill of goods. The casualties are likely to include independent brewers, which already were navigating changing adult drink preferences before facing the likelihood of higher material costs. Unlike major beer conglomerates, small breweries lack the buying power to absorb price hikes, meaning higher costs either are passed on to consumers or the businesses are forced to cut staff, scale back production or even close.
And while Illinois' craft beer scene is relatively small (ranking 33rd in the U.S. for breweries per capita), Illinois' craft brewers produce a high volume of their product, and they do it with pride.
'I think our story goes well beyond the beer as an industry,' Barley told us. 'With our product, what's different about us is at the end of the day we're making a product people celebrate with. They put their feet up after a hard day of work and take a moment for themselves. Our role goes beyond just a beer and turns it into an important part of people's lives. To continue to provide that is important.'
Craft brewing is far from the only industry that will be affected by Trump's tariffs. Automakers, manufacturers and the construction industry are also bracing for the effects, among others.
Even the United Steelworkers Union, which welcomes tariffs as a way to protect against countries such as China flooding the market with unfairly traded products, urges 'a measured approach that both strengthens our manufacturing sector and accounts for our relationships with our allies, like Canada, who play by the rules.'
Unfortunately, that's not how these tariffs work; they are a blunt instrument. While our enemies may suffer, so too will our allies and homegrown industries such as Illinois' craft brewers.