Top 5 aluminium can exporters to the US — And why America still imports

The US produces a large quantity of beverage cans domestically. But, it isn't enough to cater to the country's need. Import takes up a large portion of the aluminium trade in the stance of the United States. And among these inbound trade comes the aluminium can which is an intergral part of America's gastronomy as well as beverage industry. As the new tariffs are part of an aggressive tariff policy by US President Donald Trump that has impacted the global system of international trade, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced the inclusion of two products to the additional 25 per cent Section 232 tariffs on aluminium-derived products. These products are classified as follows: HTSUS 7612.90.10 (empty aluminium cans) and HTSUS 2203.00.00 (beer).

The newly added item in the list, an empty aluminium can, has a huge production market in the US. However, demand exceeds supply in this scenario. The following are the five largest exporters of empty aluminium cans to the United States in 2024:

1. Mexico

According to 2024 data, Mexico exported a total of USD 135 million valued aluminium cans to the United States.

There are three major producing companies who have the lion’s share of contribution towards the export numbers. In 2024, Crown Holding’s six beverage‑can facilities in Mexico collectively produced approximately 6.85 billion aluminium beverage cans. Simultaneously, Ball Corporation’s (Monterrey plant) two-line beverage‑can plant began production in late 2016. While Ball doesn’t break out Mexico-only volumes, the company shipped 52 billion aluminium beverage containers across North and Central America in 2022 (including Canada, the US and Mexico).

Mexico is one of Ball’s fastest-growing markets in the region, and North & Central American volumes rose further in 2024, underscoring that the Monterrey plant is running at several billion cans annually.

Envases Universales’ (Grupo Envases) Yucatán plant (opened 2016) is estimated to produce 2 billion cans per year, whereas, since this year, the Hidalgo State plant (under construction, coming online 2025) is designed for 2 billion cans per year.

Mexico’s shared land border slashes shipping times and costs, enabling just-in-time delivery for high-volume beverage customers. Even in the face of US tariffs, many companies stick with Mexico because of its geographic closeness, shorter transit routes, and fewer supply‑chain headaches compared to overseas sourcing

2. Canada