Sapporo beer moves some production from Canada to the US after Trump’s tariffs
Sapporo says its brand leads US sales among Asian beers and sees significant potential for further expansion
Sapporo is shifting some production from Canada to the United States after President Donald Trump’s 50 percent tariffs hit beer brewed in Canada for the US market.
The Japanese brewer plans to move production of non-alcoholic beer currently made in Canada for American consumers to the US by the first half of 2027, Bloomberg reported.
“Tariffs are something out of our control. We're going to move ahead with local production,” Sapporo Chief Strategy Officer Rieko Shofu said, according to Bloomberg.
Sapporo is considering buying or building a brewery on the US West Coast or using a contract brewer to support the shift.
The company says its brand leads US sales among Asian beers and sees significant potential for further expansion.
“The US is a huge market, and we have a lot of momentum right now in terms of how much we can expand our share of that market,” Shofu said.
The company plans to invest between ¥300 billion and ¥400 billion through 2030, including acquisitions.
About 30 percent of the investment is expected to support overseas growth, as Sapporo targets operating profit of ¥40 billion by 2030.
