AB InBev to buy back 49.9% stake in US can plants to cut canned beer costs

Global brewing giant AB InBev is set to reclaim a 49.9 per cent stake in US aluminium can manufacturing plants under a pre-existing contractual right, tightening its grip on packaging operations as tariff and cost pressures continue to mount. The brewer owns a global brand portfolio led by Anheuser-Busch.

The shareholding is related to properties that were sold in 2020 to Apollo Global Management Inc., a New York-based company that reportedly spent USD 3 billion for the Metal Container Corp. (MCC) factories. AB InBev, a corporation located in Belgium, maintained operational control over the facilities, enabling uninterrupted production and providing flexibility to expand ownership when circumstances called for it.

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“Our U.S.-based metal container plant operations include seven facilities across six states and are a strategic component of our business, ensuring quality, cost efficiency, speed of innovation and supply security for our brands, while providing industry-leading manufacturing jobs and driving economic growth in communities across the U.S.," AB InBev says.

According to a report from TheDrinksBusiness, the action is related to the Trump administration's 50 per cent tariff on incoming aluminium, which has changed the cost dynamics for industries like beverages that rely heavily on aluminium.

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“From a drinks company perspective, the repurchase [will] assist AB InBev in securing packaging materials for canned beer products for the future and essentially help in reducing raw material and manufacturing costs for the company in the meantime,” the report confirmed.

However, the brief January announcement did not specify if AB InBev aims to expand upstream, such as by operating aluminium production or melt shops, raising worries about the brewer's long-term vertical integration strategy.

Learn about the latest dynamics of the packaging market from industry leaders spoken in End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living