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Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Editorial: Hold my beer — aluminum tariffs could drive up costs for Illinois craft brewers
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. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
Chicago Tribune
12-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Hold my beer — aluminum tariffs could drive up costs for Illinois craft brewers
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.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump imposes 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum imports
Feb. 10 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump signed an order Monday to impose a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports to the United States as he works to protect domestic industries that helped him win key states during last year's election. "This is a big deal. The beginning of making America rich again," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "It's 25% without exceptions or exemptions. That's all countries, no matter where it comes from, all countries," Trump added. The United States gets most of its steel -- used for cars, appliances and infrastructure -- from Canada, Mexico and Brazil. China, the world's largest producer, exports less than 2% of its steel to the United States. The latest tariffs come one week after the president suspended 25% tariffs on all imports coming from Canada and Mexico until at least March 1. On Sunday aboard Air Force One, Trump tipped reporters to his steel tariff order and said he would also hold a news conference sometime this week to introduce new reciprocal tariffs. "Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them," Trump said. "It'll be great for everyone, including the other countries." During his first term, Trump placed 25% tariffs on steel and 10% on aluminum, which slowed imports and boosted domestic production. On Monday, Trump told reporters the new tariffs would also close loopholes and eliminate exemptions that importers have used to "take advantage" of U.S. businesses. The United Steelworkers Union, which represents 850,000 workers, issued a statement Monday applauding the order. "Our union welcomes President Donald Trump's efforts to contain the global overcapacity that has for too long enabled bad actors like China to flood the global market with its unfairly traded products, resulting in surging imports into the United States, especially from Mexico," said USW International President David McCall. "Steel and aluminum serve as the backbone of our critical infrastructure and national security, and strong domestic industries have for generations enabled our nation to build bridges, supply power, outfit our military and more," added McCall. While USW praised the steel tariffs, it also urged a "measured approach" to protect relations with allies, "like Canada, who play by the rules." "Canada is not the problem. Indeed, Canada has taken steps to coordinate their trade policies with the United States to respond to unfair foreign trade, and applying across-the-board tariffs ultimately hurts workers on both sides of the border," said McCall. Last week, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports to the United States. After China retaliated with tariffs on metals and certain chips, Trump paused tariffs on goods valued at $800 or less as the Commerce Department works to develop a tracking system. "We must distinguish between trusted trade partners," McCall warned Monday, "and those who are seeking to undercut our industries as they work to dominate the global market."
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump imposes 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum imports
Feb. 10 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump signed an order Monday to impose a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports to the United States as he works to protect domestic industries that helped him win key states during last year's election. "This is a big deal. The beginning of making America rich again," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "It's 25% without exceptions or exemptions. That's all countries, no matter where it comes from, all countries," Trump added. The United States gets most of its steel -- used for cars, appliances and infrastructure -- from Canada, Mexico and Brazil. China, the world's largest producer, exports less than 2% of its steel to the United States. The latest tariffs come one week after the president suspended 25% tariffs on all imports coming from Canada and Mexico until at least March 1. On Sunday aboard Air Force One, Trump tipped reporters to his steel tariff order and said he would also hold a news conference sometime this week to introduce new reciprocal tariffs. "Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them," Trump said. "It'll be great for everyone, including the other countries." During his first term, Trump placed 25% tariffs on steel and 10% on aluminum, which slowed imports and boosted domestic production. On Monday, Trump told reporters the new tariffs would also close loopholes and eliminate exemptions that importers have used to "take advantage" of U.S. businesses. The United Steelworkers Union, which represents 850,000 workers, issued a statement Monday applauding the order. "Our union welcomes President Donald Trump's efforts to contain the global overcapacity that has for too long enabled bad actors like China to flood the global market with its unfairly traded products, resulting in surging imports into the United States, especially from Mexico," said USW International President David McCall. "Steel and aluminum serve as the backbone of our critical infrastructure and national security, and strong domestic industries have for generations enabled our nation to build bridges, supply power, outfit our military and more," added McCall. While USW praised the steel tariffs, it also urged a "measured approach" to protect relations with allies, "like Canada, who play by the rules." "Canada is not the problem. Indeed, Canada has taken steps to coordinate their trade policies with the United States to respond to unfair foreign trade, and applying across-the-board tariffs ultimately hurts workers on both sides of the border," said McCall. Last week, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports to the United States. After China retaliated with tariffs on metals and certain chips, Trump paused tariffs on goods valued at $800 or less as the Commerce Department works to develop a tracking system. "We must distinguish between trusted trade partners," McCall warned Monday, "and those who are seeking to undercut our industries as they work to dominate the global market."
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump signs order imposing 25% steel and aluminum tariffs
President Donald Trump signed an order Monday that imposes a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports to the United States. 'This is a big deal," Trump said while signing the order in the Oval Office. "The beginning of making America rich again." The tariffs come just a week after Trump promised to suspend tariffs on Canada and Mexico. They echo steel and aluminum tariffs Trump imposed during his first administration, though at that point those were imposed explicitly on national security grounds. This time, the rationale for the tariffs is somewhat more ambiguous: Trump has cited creating jobs and narrowing the U.S. trade deficit. Over the weekend, the president promised to punish countries 'taking advantage of' U.S. analysts see the tariffs as a negotiating tool to extract concessions from other nations. Most of the steel used by American firms is already domestically produced, according to a 2022 Congressional Research Service report — though the percentage of aluminum imports used by U.S. firms is much larger. Some American firms are still coming out against the use of tariffs. On Monday, the United Steelworkers Union, a group ostensibly designed to benefit from tariffs, said the measure would backfire if applied too broadly. 'We must distinguish between trusted trade partners, like Canada, and those who are seeking to undercut our industries as they work to dominate the global market,' it said in a statement. Canada is the largest supplier of steel to the U.S., followed by Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Vietnam. Trump has floated the idea of reciprocal, tit-for-tat tariffs. According to analysts with the Capital Economics consultancy, such a scenario would, in essence, see Trump taking a more 'measured' approach to trade negotiations if the threat of an across-the-board tariff is eliminated. Still, 'given Trump's penchant to act first and negotiate later, it still seems likely that tariffs will push up inflation this year and that the Fed will remain on hold as a result,' they wrote in a note to clients, referring to the expected trajectory of interest rates. This article was originally published on
