Blog Posts

I wanted to take a moment to congratulate to Owens-Illinois Inc, known as O-I, for receiving the Keep America Beautiful 2018 Vision for America Award. America’s brewers, beer importers, and industry suppliers understand that we only have one planet, and we all must be good stewards so we can ensure the next generation inherits a healthy and vibrant world.

Senators often show up just to make an appearance, so I didn’t expect the late Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) to stay at the hearing in 2014 on the dense subject of bank ownership of commodities like aluminum. It was, however, Senator Carl Levin’s (D-Michigan) last hearing before retiring, and Senator Levin’s cross-examination skills immediately captivated Senator McCain.

Earlier today, S&P Platts announced it would publish a new series of implied duty-unpaid U.S. Midwest Aluminum price assessments beginning August 1. Although this decision could, in Platt’s words, provide “market participants with greater transparency of aluminum values in a tariff environment,” it does not address the fundamental flaws in how Platts assesses the Midwest Premium.  These flaws prompted a bipartisan coalition of members of Congress to request that the Department of Justice examine possible pricing irregularities of the Midwest Premium.

Last week the Beer Institute filed comments to S&P Global Platts with our recommendations to help ensure that the price of aluminum, and especially the Midwest Premium, represents market fundamentals. You can read the full comments HERE. The Midwest Premium, created by metal producers years ago, is supposed to cover the logistical costs of moving metal into and in North America – essentially a shipping and handling fee.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself—once again—in my favorite chain restaurant with the really good chicken wings.  After perusing the menu, which I know by heart at this point, I turned my attention to the beer menu.  Imagine my surprise when I saw something I had never encountered before: the calories and alcohol-by-volume (ABV) of each beer were listed next to the beer’s description.  Huh.

One of the many ways beer is special is that it comes in a wide variety of packages of different sizes, shapes, and materials. It’s a great point of pride for our industry and a major part of what makes beer the most versatile among the different types of beverage alcohol.

The woman stands with arms raised and fingers out in a gesture of welcome to a room full of dinner guests.  The setting is a warm and hospitable home with the guests all in fancy dress.  The table is set with a silver candelabra, a sumptuous fruit centerpiece, and fresh cold beer in glasses on a silver platter!

President Trump announced last Thursday that he plans to impose a 10% tariff on all aluminum imports and a 25% tariff on all steel imports.  This aluminum tariff will dramatically increase the manufacturing costs of American brewers and beer importers.

What is big sky country? This past August, I—along with my colleague Joe Heaton—the Beer Institute’s director of federal affairs–traveled to Sunburst, Montana to lend our hands as part of the annual barley harvest. If you’ve ever been to Montana, you know that the clear blue sky stretches along the horizon for miles. And at night, the sky turns into a blanket of twinkling stars.

In order to provide comprehensive tax relief to America’s brewers and beer importers, Congress recently passed a temporary reduction in federal excise taxes on beer as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which President Trump signed into law in December 2017. This tax cut is good news for the beer industry as well as for the American economy because the new excise tax rates on beer may help make our industry stronger, more diverse, and more competitive.