I have spent my life in the beer industry. As the former owner of the TapWerks OKC, my firm spent many hours pouring a cold draft grown by the American farmer into a cold glass for our customers. Now, the threat of cheap import beer into the U.S. is set to wreck one of this country’s most important industries.
The warning signs are already visible across our industry. Brewery utilization capacity in the U.S. has shrunk to 65% from 82% a decade ago. Because of this severe downturn, breweries large and small have closed in the last year. This structural shift has been driven by foreign products, as imported, non-union beer now accounts for almost 25% of the U.S. market.
When foreign imports dominate, local businesses and the communities they sustain are left vulnerable. The vast majority of imports—over 80%—come from Mexico, where wages and labor costs are significantly lower than in the United States. For a downtown hub that relies on premium domestic supply chains to satisfy tourists and locals alike, this unfair competition makes it harder to source great beers reliably. If current trends continue, imports could grow to 40% of total U.S. consumption. That trajectory carries devastating economic consequences, with an estimated impact of up to $23 billion in GDP losses.
We cannot allow a race to the bottom driven by low-wage imports to hollow out American manufacturing and the hospitality sector that depends on it. Brewery workers need our help to demand accountability and a level playing field to protect their quality American jobs.
To defend these at-risk, good-paying jobs and the communities they sustain, we must take decisive action. I strongly urge our leaders to implement tariffs on beer imports from Mexico. Enacting these tariffs will ensure fair competition, help protect U.S. workers today, and increase jobs in the future. Doing so will allow U.S. brewers to continue serving the very best of American beer to our customers for years to come.
About the author: Jeremy Witzke is the former CEO/COO of TapWerks Ale House in Oklahoma City. He founded the Oklahoma Craft Beer Association and the Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival.