The CEOs of four top breweries in the US have written to President Joe Biden to urge him to scrap aluminium tariffs.

The Trump-era aluminium import tariffs have cost the industry $1.4billion since 2018, while the beer industry uses 41 billion cans annually.

In a letter to Biden, Gavin Hattersley, president and CEO of the Molson Coors Beverage Company; Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch; Jim Sabia, president of the beer division of Constellation Brands; and Maggie Timoney, CEO of Heineken USA, praised the administration’s openness to combatting inflation by curbing tariffs, but warned aluminium tariffs are still increasing consumer prices.

“While our industry is more dynamic and competitive than ever, aluminum tariffs continue to burden breweries of all sizes,” the brewers said.

“Eliminating the tariffs will alleviate pressure and allow us to continue our vital role as strong contributors to this nation’s economy.

“We applaud your Administration’s efforts to negotiate lifting tariffs off individual countries. However, those efforts to provide economic relief to American consumers have no effect if end-users — such as U.S. brewers — are charged a tariff-burdened price regardless of whether the metal should be tariffed based on its content or origin.

“Just as concerning is that of the $1.4 billion ostensibly paid in tariffs, 92% did not go to the U.S. Treasury.”