Q1 2026 Export Development Program News

Your Help Needed: Complete the Annual Export Survey

The Export Development Program (EDP) is wrapping up its annual export survey. Thank you to all the breweries that have already taken the time to participate-we truly appreciate your support.

If your brewery hasn't completed it yet, please do so by Friday, February 13.

Your participation matters. The data you provide allows us to share the most accurate export statistics with brewers like you and helps ensure ongoing USDA support for American craft beer in international markets.

American Craft Beer Takes Center Stage in Tokyo

The American Craft Beer Experience returned to Tokyo in late 2025, marking 10 years since its debut. The EDP's own flagship American festival has taken various formats across a range of venues. In a bid to introduce new Japanese consumers to American craft beer, this year's ACBE was built upon an expanded partnership with other USDA food and agriculture organizations that showcased the harmony between American barbecue and craft beer. This expanded "American Festival" took place in Hibiya Park, a highly visible outdoor venue in central Tokyo, and featured beautiful weather and a picnic-like atmosphere. More than 12,000 attendees enjoyed more than 120 U.S. craft beers from 41 U.S. breweries, alongside live entertainment and a diverse array of American barbecue dishes. Altogether, the 2025 edition of the ACBE was highly successful, and sets the stage for continued partnership with Japanese craft beer importers and U.S. agricultural exporters.

Read more about ACBE in Tokyo.

Japan International Beer Cup

The ACBE wasn't the only event taking place in Japan recently: the EDP facilitated member participation in the 30^th annual International Beer Cup, organized by the Japan Craft Beer Association. One of the country's most respected beer competitions, the International Beer Cup has played a key role in expanding market access for U.S. brewers and attracts Japanese craft beer consumers seeking the world's best beers.

Among the 1,562 entries from 385 breweries across 22 countries, U.S. breweries earned 30 medals at the 2025 competition: six gold, 13 silver, and 11 bronze.

See all 2025 JIBC winners.

Craft Beer, Community, and Connection in Ukraine

Great tasting American craft beer extends its reach far and wide, with EDP support making its mark with several initiatives in Ukraine in 2025. In partnering with a Ukrainian importer, the EDP was able to facilitate a presence for member breweries at two festivals, Bad Boy Beer Festival in Lviv and Creative Beer Fest in Kyiv. Beyond festivals, member beers were promoted through a range of other campaigns, including a "Product of the Week" loyalty program and Black Friday activation, wholesale activities, exclusive tastings and pairings at bars, advent calendar references, and additional promotions through influencer marketing channels.

This work helps raise the profile of U.S. craft beer, building familiarity among consumers, even during difficult circumstances. Through these promotional efforts, BA was able to lend some levity, normality, and support to the Ukrainian craft beer trade and craft beer fans alike, while helping to cultivate a long-term export destination for U.S. craft beer.

EDP Importer Trade Mission Returns to the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC)

The EDP is looking forward to seeing you in Philly for the return of its importer trade mission. Registration is now open for the upcoming CBC, occurring from April 20-22. A diverse crew of importers from around the world will be looking to organize meetings with EDP members, with representatives from Europe, the Asia Pacific, Canada, and Latin American already slated to attend. The importer trade mission to CBC has quickly evolved into one of the EDP's most productive events, facilitating significant new business for member breweries and enabling a scale of interaction that would otherwise be impossible without significant travel time and investment.

Beyond the importer trade mission, the EDP will be hosting educational seminars. Attending brewers can sit in on market overviews for China and Japan, along with an export panel focusing on the UK. The EDP team is looking forward to this informative schedule of seminars which should impart some valuable insights into doing business in these key markets.

We look forward to seeing you there, and don't forget to sign up to attend the CBC here. Participation in importer meetings requires a separate registration by March 6.

Media Magic from American Craft Beer Ambassador to Europe

It's was a busy 2025 for Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association's American Craft Beer Ambassador to Europe. When she's not fronting major international beer events such as Beer & Food Attraction in Italy, London Craft Beer Festival, and Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival, judging prestigious competitions like the Brussels Beer Challenge, or supporting trade missions at Craft Brewers Conference and the Great American Beer Festival, Lotte is hard at work behind the scenes. Her focus: crafting compelling news releases and articles that keep American craft beer front and centre across UK and European media.

Over the past year, the campaign generated 126 pieces of media coverage, reaching a global audience of nearly 10 million across 12 countries-nine of them in the UK and Europe. Media outreach continues to be a highly effective way to engage beer enthusiasts and industry professionals who may be unable to attend events in person

Beyond media relations, Lotte's behind-the-scenes work includes ongoing liaison with importers and close collaboration with the U.S. Embassy's Foreign Agricultural Service in the UK and EU, helping to maintain a strong and visible profile for American craft beer across the region.

2025 media highlights include:

• An exploration into American craft lager trends in titles across Finland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the UK
• US Showcase roadshow in London/Manchester here and here
• Beer and food pairing events in London here, here, and here, and another in Sweden
• Wide-ranging coverage of the latest American craft trends from GABF in Finland, Italy Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, and more
• EDP Members success at European beer competitions in Germany, Italy, and the UK

Lotte is passionate about championing American craft beer across the UK and Europe through media engagement and looks forward to building on the momentum of 2025 as the programme of activities moves into 2026.

New Funding on its way for American Craft Beer

The EDP has just completed its application for the America First Trade Promotion Program (AFTPP), which will usher in a new injection of funding. AFTPP is geared towards short-term impacts on sales-oriented programs. This funding will help improve the efficacy of EDP programs that support new business opportunities for your brewery, while simultaneously extending the shelf life of its other grants and securing a dependable future for EDP programming. The EDP looks forward to the beginning of the AFTPP program in early summer 2026, and to putting it to good use in pursuit of expanding the exports of member breweries.

Upcoming EDP Events and Deadlines

Plans are already in motion for a diverse and impactful slate of upcoming activities this year. See below for confirmed events, dates, and deadlines. We look forward to seeing you there! See EDP Member Resources for more details.