Jim Beam shutting down bourbon manufacturing at Kentucky distillery for a 12 months as Trump’s commerce wars hit gross sales | EUROtoday

Jim Beam, one of many largest makers of American whiskey globally, is shutting down bourbon manufacturing at one in all its Kentucky distilleries for a 12 months.

The transfer comes amid President Donald Trump’s commerce warfare with Canada, which has contributed to a big decline in U.S. liquor gross sales after the nation ushered in a boycott of American booze, and as extra younger adults are reducing again on ingesting.

Jim Beam, owned by Suntory Global Spirits, is one in all Kentucky’s greatest bourbon producers.

The Bluegrass state’s $9 billion whiskey bourbon trade has been struggling to handle its considerable provide of liquor towards the drop in demand.

In a press release, the corporate mentioned it was shutting down manufacturing at its Clermont distillery on January 1, 2026, although the guests heart on the location is to stay open, in response to the Lexington Herald Leader.

“We are always assessing production levels to best meet consumer demand and recently met with our team to discuss our volumes for 2026,” the assertion mentioned. “We’ve shared with our teams that while we will continue to distill at our [Freddie Booker Noe] craft distillery in Clermont and at our larger Booker Noe distillery in Boston, we plan to pause distillation at our main distillery on the James B. Beam campus for 2026 while we take the opportunity to invest in site enhancements.”

There have been practically 1,500 workers on the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Kentucky final 12 months, in response to the newspaper. The firm mentioned it was assessing “how best to utilize our workforce during this transition” in a press release to the outlet, and added it was in discussions with the union.

In March, following sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump, many Canadians determined to boycott American liquor in protest.

Industry group Distilled Spirits Council of the United States mentioned that U.S. spirits exports plummeted 85 %, falling under $10 million within the second quarter of 2025, which CEO Chris Swonger blamed on “persistent trade tensions.”

Swonger warned the figures signaled “a shift away from our great American spirits brands” and urged Trump “to help facilitate a lasting return to tariff-free trade with our longstanding trading partners.”

Trump suspended commerce talks with Canada in October after an advert shared by Ontario premier Doug Ford featured spliced clips from Ronald Reagan’s 1987 tackle, the place the late president mentioned tariffs brought about commerce wars and financial catastrophe.

Canada and the U.S. have since agreed to launch formal discussions to evaluate their commerce settlement in mid-January, in response to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The president’s tariffs are usually not the one headache for the U.S. liquor trade — a drastic change in ingesting habits can be having an affect on gross sales.

A document excessive proportion of U.S. adults (53 %) mentioned average ingesting is dangerous for his or her well being, up from 28 % in 2015, in response to a Gallup ballot printed in August.

The uptick unsure about alcohol’s advantages is essentially pushed by younger adults — the age group that’s most definitely to consider ingesting “one or two drinks a day” may cause well being hazards.

The survey discovered that 54 % of U.S. adults mentioned they drink alcoholic drinks reminiscent of liquor, wine or beer, which is decrease than at every other level previously three many years.