CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 17 Made in America: Part II | Page 28

W W W. C R A F T BY U M H . C O M
J E R R Y
G N A G Y
THE ONE WHERE JERRY’D
RATHER WRITE ABOUT K ARAOKE ,
BUT TARIFF S HAPPENED
CRAFT recently asked me to take a departure from my normal ramblings here to
talk about something a little more serious to the brewing industry. I had a whole
essay ready, explaining the three rules to a successful Karaoke performance, but
too bad, it’s going to have to wait. I was asked to share my thoughts on the new
tariffs imposed on imported aluminum and steel. I, of course, jumped at the
chance to tell you all about what I knew about the new tariffs and their impact on
the brewing industry. But I realized how stupid I would look, spouting off about
something I haven’t given much thought to. I would probably look as stupid as
you and your drunk friend butchering Bohemian Rhapsody and giggling at each
other at T. Eddies Karaoke bar. But, hey, I’ll give it a shot.
So, let’s dive in here and see what these new tariffs are all about. It was reported
that the President agreed with the commerce department that imports of steel
and aluminum impair national security. Therefore, the President ordered a 25
percent tariff on steel articles and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum articles. The
new tariffs are imposed mainly on imports from China, with exemptions for a
handful of countries. Based on preliminary research by the Brewers Association,
finished stainless steel vessels and kegs would not be subject to any addition-
al duties, but the focus would be mainly on upstream products such as stain-
less-steel ingot, flat-rolled steel, etc. As for the increased prices on aluminum,
the new duties would be levied on rolled aluminum which is what goes into the
manufacturing of beverage containers used in the brewing industry. The ef-
fect of these new tariffs for the brewing industry would be to increase prices on
steel and aluminum in general and thus increase the costs of new equipment and