Trump's aluminum tariffs harm the beer industry
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President Trump's aluminum tariffs have driven up the cost of cans and in turn have cost the beer industry nearly 40,000 jobs since 2016, reports Bloomberg.
Why it matters: A report from 2 trade groups said direct, indirect and induced jobs fell to 2.19 million in 2018 from 2.23 million in 2016. Though the industry claims it does not blame the slump entirely on Trump's tariffs, a spokesperson told Bloomberg that "brewers are making fewer investments because of the added cost of aluminum." Brewers are being forced to decide how they want to deal with the increased cost of aluminum, and it means either throwing the cost at consumers or laying off workers.
But, but, but: Tariffs aren't necessarily the only thing disrupting employment in the beer world, per Bloomberg. The total number of beer, wine and spirits cases consumed in the U.S. dropped 0.8% in 2018 — the third consecutive year of decline, per an IWSR report, which studies the beverage market.
Go deeper: U.S. lifts steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico