February 6, 2026 l By Dalena Reporters
OTTAWA / CANADA — Canadian breweries and beer producers are facing rising costs and supply challenges as a result of U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel products, with the impact most evident in the price of beer cans and packaging crucial to the industry’s operations.
The tariffs, introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump and later increased to a 50 per cent duty on imported aluminum, have pushed up the cost of aluminium beer cans considered standard packaging for many craft and independent brewers because Canada currently does not have enough domestic can manufacturing capacity to replace imports from the United States. This means Canadian breweries still rely on supply chains that are now subject to the steep tariffs.
Industry representatives say the cost per beer can has climbed sharply in some cases more than doubling adding financial strain for small and medium-sized breweries. Richard Alexander, president of Beer Canada, said that the tariff increases are one of the “biggest factors” driving up the cost of production at breweries across the country.
One brewer noted that the standard 473-millilitre tall beer can, popular among independent beer brands, has become “almost impossible” to source without higher costs, partly because aluminum production and can fabrication remain heavily integrated with U.S. markets. This supply crunch has contributed to price pressures that could eventually affect consumers if additional tariff-related costs are passed along.
The tariff policy is part of broader trade tensions between Canada and the United States that began in 2025 when the U.S. imposed duty increases on steel and aluminum, and other derivative products including beer cans and certain beer imports, as part of an economic strategy to support domestic metal production.
The impact on the pricing and availability of beer cans has highlighted the complexity of North American supply chains even for products traditionally associated with Canadian manufacturing and spurred discussions among brewers and trade policy observers about the need for increased domestic can production and greater supply-chain resilience in the face of ongoing tariff pressures.
The situation underlines how international trade policy especially tariffs on base metals like aluminum can ripple outward to affect industries in unexpected ways, from manufacturing costs to everyday consumer goods.