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One of the nation’s largest labor unions wants President Donald Trump to make one of America’s favorite imports a lot more American.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters are urging the administration to impose significant tariffs on Mexican beer, arguing more of it should be brewed by U.S. workers instead of across the border.
The request comes as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative continues to assess whether certain countries’ policies have fueled unfair manufacturing advantages.
The Teamsters argue Mexico has fueled its brewing industry through government-backed investment incentives, lower labor costs and export-focused policies that have expanded production and exports, helping imported beer capture a growing share of the U.S. market.
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The brewer of Modelo claimed the No. 1 spot in June 2023, when Modelo Especial surpassed Bud Light on dollar sales, and it continues to rank among the country’s best-selling beers (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
The tariff push could have implications for some of America’s best-known imported beer brands, including Modelo, Corona, Pacifico and Tecate, much of which is brewed in Mexico before being shipped to retailers across the U.S.
“We can brew Modelo beer. It’s the same recipe. Let’s brew it in the United States,” Sean O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, told Fox News Digital. “We are very good at producing goods and services in this country,” he added.
In its filing, the union said Mexican beer production has increased 85% since 2014, with about 80% of the country’s beer exports shipped to the United States. Meanwhile, capacity utilization at major U.S. breweries fell from 82% in 2013 to 65% in 2023, a trend the Teamsters say threatens thousands of well-paying union jobs.
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Economists say the beer industry could see job cuts as tariffs increase costs for brewers and importers. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
The union argues tariffs would help shift more beer production back to the U.S., supporting American breweries along with the farmers who grow barley and hops, aluminum manufacturers that produce cans and the truckers who move beer across the country.
“I’m pro-America, pro-American worker, pro American jobs. So if there’s an opportunity to tariff Mexican beer in this situation, which is gonna provide opportunity for our current members, which we have tens of thousands in the brewery and distribution industry, then I’m all for tariffs and all for keeping American jobs in America,” O’Brien added.
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The Teamsters say the threat to U.S. brewery jobs is growing as major brewers continue investing billions of dollars in Mexico.
According to the filing, breweries have announced plans to add another 19 million to 23 million hectoliters of production capacity over the next five years, an expansion the union attributes to export-focused tax incentives, lower labor costs and industrial policies aimed at boosting manufacturing for foreign markets.
The filing also cites Mexico’s 2023 tax incentives for export-oriented manufacturers and its broader “Plan México” industrial strategy, arguing those policies have encouraged additional investment while suppressing wages and making it more difficult for U.S. producers to compete.
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The Teamsters have publicly backed tariffs as high as 75% on Mexican beer imports, calling them one potential remedy to what they describe as an uneven playing field. In a separate submission to USTR, the union said continued pressure from imported beer could force more U.S. brewery slowdowns or closures, jeopardizing good-paying brewery jobs that have supported American families for generations.
The Teamsters’ filing is one of several submitted as USTR weighs potential trade actions under its ongoing Section 301 investigation.
USTR did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
