US aluminum tariffs raise Canadian craft brewers’ costs as 75% of Ontario beer is sold in cans

Canadian craft breweries are facing higher production costs as US tariffs on aluminum increase the price of beer cans, forcing smaller businesses to absorb some of the extra expense or pass it on to customers. Wesley Burbidge, who opened Brew Revolution in 2019 to offer affordable craft beer to his community, said the latest US tariffs have made it harder to keep prices down. Although the brewery managed to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, rising material costs have forced it to adjust its pricing. According to a 2024 report by Beer Canada, around 75 per cent of beer sold in Ontario was packaged in aluminum cans, compared with 43 per cent in 2014. Burbidge said Brew Revolution was trying to limit the impact on customers as the cost of materials increased. He said, “As we see our material...