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The Canadian tariffs on cans were part of its response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs. But they hit a product already in short supply after the closure of a Crown Holdings Inc plant in Massachusetts in January.

At least one small brewery, Alberta’s GP Brewing Co, was forced to halt production for two weeks in July after it ran out of cans. Harford said many other producers are still filling cans with beer as quickly as they can get them.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Steve Beauchesne, co-founder and chief executive of Beau’s Brewing Co in Ottawa, said his brewery is waiting three to four months for orders to be filled, and has had to delay some product launches.

He said the tariffs had effectively benefited U.S. brewers, whose filled cans of beer were not subject to the tariff when they crossed the border into Canada: “By making us exempt, they’re at least putting us on even footing.”

While small breweries were most vocal about the shortage, Harford said all Canadian breweries selling beer in tall cans rely on U.S. producers. Tall cans are made by Ball Corp as well as Crown, according to Harford.

Major beer companies with operations in Canada include Molson Coors Brewing Co and Anheuser Busch Inbev’s Labatt Breweries of Canada.

© Thomson Reuters 2018