In this article, we are going to discuss the 15 countries that export the most beer to the U.S. You can skip our detailed analysis of the import beer market in the United States, the local production of imported beer brands, and the recent success of import beer in the U.S., and go directly to 5 Countries that Export the Most Beer to the U.S.
The American beer market has had a tumultuous history with influences from import trends, wars, prohibition, and local breweries. After prohibition ended in 1933, Heineken was the first imported beer to re-enter the American market, leading the way among brands positioning themselves as an upscale alternative to a domestic market that was basically nothing but watery macro brews.
By the 1970s, the import market had begun to grow, making up nearly 3% of the entire U.S. beer market. As craft beer began its relentless, still accelerating rise on the domestic side in the 1990s and 2000s, imports changed as well. Heineken hasn’t gone anywhere, but Americans now also enjoy an astonishing wealth of delicious imported beer riches from Belgium, Germany, Ireland, and beyond.
Import Beer Market in the United States:
The United States of America is the largest importer of beer in the world. As we mentioned in our article – 20 Highest Rated Pilsner Beers in 2023 – the import beer category had a 22.2% share in the total U.S. sales volume in 2022, an increase of 2.8% from the previous year.
In 2022, the U.S. imported around $7.05 billion worth of beer, accounting for 2 out of every 5 cross-border beer dollars.
Beer imports increased in 2022 as the premiumization trend drew consumers to foreign brews, which are often perceived to be of higher quality. An inflated U.S. dollar has also made foreign beers relatively more affordable for domestic consumers, boosting imports.
Yet, despite the positive performance of the imported beer market last year, analysts caution that inflation, depreciation of the dollar, tariffs on aluminum imports, and a possible recession could hamper its growth.
The Local Production of Imported Beer Brands:
Foreign beers usually tend to cost more than their local counterparts. Imported beer faces import duties and travels long distances, while licensed beers frequently encounter diseconomies of scale or profit-sharing arrangements with external licensors. However, revenues per hectoliter are also high as consumers generally see the product as a premium brew. As a result, many foreign beers have attractive margins.
However, as costs are increasing, margins are coming under pressure and the attractiveness of imported beer is changing in the U.S. Beer coming from Europe, which makes up nearly 20% of the American beer imports, has been particularly hard hit as European imports are facing high container rates on the Europe-North America route, high fuel costs for road transport, and high packaging costs.
Around 60% of U.S. beer imports arrive in glass bottles and furnaces in Europe now pay high natural gas prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In this context, moving production from Europe to the U.S. has obvious advantages.
One of the Best Imported Beers in USA is Stella Artois. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) announced in 2021 that it would shift production of the signature Belgian brand from Europe to four of its U.S. breweries, including its St. Louis flagship, which would produce the beverage for domestic consumers.
The move was part of the two-year $1 billion capital investment program that Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) announced for its production facilities in America. In addition to the brewery upgrades, the company also committed to spend $296 million more for the domestic production and distribution of Stella Artois in the U.S. over the same two-year period.
Although the move was heavily criticized by the American beer lovers, who feared that their beloved brand would lose its originality, it was announced earlier this year that so far, both consumer perception and sales volumes of Stella Artois have held up well.
Similarly, Sapporo has also started the domestic production of its beers after its recent $165 million acquisition of the California-based Stone Brewing.
As we mentioned in our article – Top 20 Wine Producing Countries in the World – Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) shares haven’t gone anywhere in recent years, and it lost around 40% of its value over the last 5 years. It is a highly leveraged company and the rising interest rates aren’t helping the stock either. Nevertheless, billionaire Bill Gates’ portfolio managers decided to initiate a $96 million position in the firm during the second quarter.
Recent Success of Import Beer:
As we mentioned in our article – 25 Top-Selling Beers in America – the popular Mexican import beer brand, Modelo Especial, has now officially dethroned Bud Light as the best-selling beer in America. Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ), an American firm that went into brewing only a decade ago, symbolizes a major success story in the American beer industry. However, an important part of this success is attributed to the U.S. antitrust laws.
Back in 2013, when the brewing industry behemoth Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired Grupo Modelo for $20 billion, America’s Justice Department intervened. It was then decided that in order to keep the country’s beer market competitive, the company must divest Modelo’s entire U.S. business to Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ), which at the time was a little-known wine and spirit seller worth $8.1 billion.
The American company then seized the $4.75 billion deal as a major opportunity and with its aggressive marketing and efficient distribution, turned its Mexican beers into some of the Biggest Beer Brands in America. The New York-based Fortune 500 company is single-handedly fueling the growth in the import beer industry in the U.S. through its highly sought-after Mexican brews.
Shares of STZ were held by 48 out of 910 hedge funds in the Insider Monkey database at the end of Q2, with Holocene Advisors holding the largest stake of 796,935 shares, valued at $196.15 million. Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) ranks among the Best Alcohol Stocks to Own According to Hedge Funds.
With that said, here are the Countries that Export the Most Beer to the U.S.
Pixabay/Public Domain
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to the Beer Institute, which works closely with the U.S. Department of Commerce in order to track the volume of beer brought into the U.S. Following are the Countries that Export the Most Beer to America, ranked in order of the volume of beer they exported in 2022:
15. Japan
Beer Exported to the U.S. in 2022: 1,182,509 gallons
The beer industry is an integral part of beverage manufacturing in Japan. While the country is well-known for its high-quality clear liquors such as rice wine (sake) and fruit liqueurs, beer stands at the top of alcoholic beverage production. Sapporo and Asahi are some of the popular Japanese brands in the U.S. market.
14. France
Beer Exported to the U.S. in 2022: 1,450,517 gallons
France has become the European leader by number of breweries – ahead of both the United Kingdom and Germany – and second in the world. The country’s beer exports to the U.S. are lush and varied, with barrel-aged beers, beers blended with grape must, and more.
France ranks among the Top Beer Producing Countries in the World.
13. Czech Republic
Beer Exported to the U.S. in 2022: 2,029,513 gallons
The Czech Republic is known as a major exporter of both hops and lager beer and the country has been exporting its brews to the U.S. since as far back as 1874. Brewed exclusively in the city of Plzeň, Pilsner Urquell is the most popular Czech beer brand in the United States.
The Czech Republic ranks among the top beer exporting countries.
12. Guatemala
Beer Exported to the U.S. in 2022: 2,248,115 gallons
Guatemala exported $7.59 million worth of beer to the United States in 2022, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Gallo is a popular beer in the Central American country, but the brand is known as Famosa in the U.S. market.
11. Vietnam
Beer Exported to the U.S. in 2022: 2,376,555 gallons
Vietnam is the largest exporter of canned beer in the world and a big part of these shipments heads to the United States. Although a variety of foreign brands are produced in Vietnam and then exported worldwide, Saigon Export Beer is the only authentic Vietnamese brand available in the U.S. market.
Vietnam ranks 11th in our list of countries that export the most beer to the United States.
10. United Kingdom
Beer Exported to the U.S. in 2022: 2,536,618 gallons
With total beer exports of around $568 million in 2021, the U.K. is the 6th Largest Beer Exporter in the World. After Scotch whisky and chocolate, beer is the largest food and drink export from the United Kingdom. The U.S. imported about $117.5 million worth of beer from the U.K in 2022.
9. Poland
Beer Exported to the U.S. in 2022: 2,674,820 gallons
Poland is well-known for its beer culture and many varieties. The country’s large breweries are all owned by multinational companies, however, Poland’s craft beer scene has seen great evolution over the last decade.
Polish beers are not difficult to find in the U.S., especially in this day and age of online shopping. Brands such as Żywiec, Lech, Dębowe etc. can be easily bought in online shops, or found in local Polish stores.
Poland is counted among the Top 10 Countries that Export the Most Beer to America.
8. Jamaica
Beer Exported to the U.S. in 2022: 3,289,045 gallons
Red Stripe is a popular Jamaican lager that has had a presence in the U.S. since 1985. Since Heineken N.V. acquired a controlling stake in the brand and returned production back to the brand’s homeland in 2016, the company has embarked on an aggressive 10-year investment plan to build Red Stripe’s position as a truly global brand.
In 2017, Red Stripe invested $16 million in a new, state-of-the-art production line dedicated exclusively to export markets.
Red Stripe ranks among the Cheap Imported Beer Brands Targeting Budweiser’s Market Share.
7. Belgium
Beer Exported to the U.S. in 2022: 6,068,436 gallons
Belgium witnessed an 82.7% decrease in beer exports to the U.S. in 2022, and a major reason for this is the shift of Stella Artois’ production by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) to its local facilities in the U.S.
The Belgian Beer Week was organized at the Disney World in Orlando, FL, in May this year, with around 32 Belgian breweries taking part. The brewers’ American tour could also help to strengthen Belgian beer exports to the U.S., which have been declining in recent years after a period of strong growth.
6. Italy
Beer Exported to the U.S. in 2022: 9,723,254 gallons
Italy has made significant contributions to the world of beer throughout its long history and the United States is the second-largest export market for Italian beers. Peroni Nastro Azzurro is among the most popular Italian beers in America. Produced exclusively in Italy, Peroni is exported to 50 countries and ranks among the Most Imported Beer Brands in the World.
Italy ranks among the countries that the U.S. imports the most beer from.
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Disclosure: None. 15 Countries that Export the Most Beer to the U.S. is originally published on Insider Monkey.