MELLE, Belgium – Workers at Belgium’s Huyghe Brewery are scrambling to stack bottles and kegs for rapid shipment to the United States before President Donald Trump’s threatened 200-percent tariffs on European Union alcohol exports take effect.
Trump’s announcement last week sent shockwaves through the European drinks industry. The tariffs, meant to counter the EU’s levies on U.S. whiskey, could cripple exports of Belgian beer, which is highly sought after by American consumers.
For Huyghe Brewery, maker of the famous Delirium Tremens brand, the stakes are enormous. The U.S. accounts for nearly 20 percent of its total sales, and CEO Alain De Laet is deeply concerned.
“I can’t cope with 200 percent. That means seeing the price of our beer triple in the United States. It becomes unsellable,” De Laet said.
The Belgian brewery, which produces around 30 varieties of beer, including its iconic Delirium Tremens—a strong blonde beer with an alcohol content of 8.5 percent—faces the risk of being priced out of the American market.
Already considered one of the most expensive beers on U.S. shelves, Delirium’s cost could soar beyond consumers’ reach if the tariffs are implemented.
Determined to mitigate the potential damage, Huyghe Brewery has shifted into emergency mode. Workers are operating at full throttle in their headquarters in Melle, near Ghent, packing bottles into boxes amid towering stacks of barrels. The objective: ship as much stock as possible before the tariffs hit.
“You have to play it safe,” De Laet explained. “We decided to send everything we have in Belgium to the United States immediately.”
Currently, the brewery maintains about three months’ worth of reserves in the U.S. The new strategy aims to double that, ensuring up to six months of supply to weather the uncertainty.
The company is prioritizing shipments of its signature Delirium range, along with its popular fruit-flavored varieties, which have gained significant traction among American consumers.
The plan involves filling and dispatching approximately 20 containers within a week, bound for Baltimore via the Belgian port of Antwerp.
Huyghe’s direct presence in the U.S. market provides an edge over other European alcohol producers. With its own subsidiary employing 22 people dedicated to sales, the brewery can move shipments swiftly without waiting for approval from external importers.
Belgium’s beer culture, recognized as part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage, is deeply ingrained in the country’s identity.
The nation’s 400 breweries collectively export around 70 percent of their production. However, Trump’s tariff threat casts a shadow over the industry’s future in one of its most lucrative markets.
The trade dispute stems from a broader tit-for-tat battle between the U.S. and the EU, ignited by Trump’s decision to impose 25-percent duties on steel and aluminum imports.
In retaliation, the EU introduced its own tariffs on American whiskey and other goods, escalating tensions between the two economic powerhouses.
For Huyghe Brewery, overseas sales account for a staggering 83 percent of total revenue, with France being its largest market by volume.
The company is also taking precautions by boosting shipments of its newly launched alcohol-free beer, in case it too becomes a target of U.S. trade policies.
“You never know with Trump,” De Laet remarked.
As the deadline for potential tariffs looms, Huyghe Brewery’s race against time underscores the uncertainty facing European exporters.
Whether the U.S. will follow through with its tariff hike remains to be seen, but for now, Belgian beer makers are bracing for a challenging road ahead.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
