U.S. Beer Shipments Rose in March

The Beer Institute said Tuesday that U.S. brewers’ taxable removals, a closely watched proxy for beer shipments and consumer demand, rose to 12.7 million barrels in March from 12.4 million barrels a year earlier, an increase of 2.5%.

The trade group’s estimate, which is not a final government tally, showed that March shipments improved from the same month in 2025 even as the year-to-date total remained below last year’s pace. Through March, taxable removals were estimated at 32.5 million barrels, down 2.1% from 33.2 million barrels in the first three months of 2025.

The Beer Institute publishes monthly estimates based on taxable removals reported by brewers to the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The figures are used by industry analysts as an early measure of beer consumption trends in the United States, where the market has faced pressure from changing drinking habits, higher costs and competition from other alcoholic beverages.

The March estimate followed a weaker January and a nearly flat February. January taxable removals were estimated at 9.6 million barrels, down 9.5% from a year earlier, while February was estimated at 10.2 million barrels, up 0.2%. The March gain helped narrow the year-to-date decline but did not erase it.

The Beer Institute said its estimate for April 2026 is scheduled for release on June 9.

The Washington-based trade association represents brewers, beer importers and suppliers and says the industry supports nearly 2.42 million jobs and contributes more than $471 billion to the U.S. economy.