1. Calendar

American Craft Beer Experience Festival & Trade Mission to Japan

Link to article ACBE

November 9th-13th, 2023

Tokyo, Japan

Deadlines:

  • Trade Mission Travel Application - Sept 11
  • Beer Registration - Oct 2
  • Beer due at west coast consolidation - October 13

Exclusive benefit for BA Export Development Program members

Not a member? Learn more about the Program benefits and fees.

The Brewers Association Export Development Program is excited to announce the return of its American beer consumer festival in Tokyo, Japan this November. 2023 will mark our sixth year for the festival which will be an outstanding opportunity for American craft breweries to showcase their beers to Japanese consumers and trade. Brewery representatives are invited to apply to participate in person via an organized trade mission.

The 2023 American Craft Beer Experience (ACBE) Japan takes place on November 10, 11 & 12, 2023 at the Waters Takeshiba Outdoor Event Space.

EDP member brewery representatives are also invited to apply to travel to Tokyo to participate in trade mission activity surrounding the event.

Event Timeline

  • Trade Mission Travel Application Deadline: Monday, Sept. 11
  • Beer Registration Deadline: Monday, Oct. 2
  • Export Certificate Submission Deadline: Tuesday, Oct. 3
  • Consolidation Deadline: beer must arrive no later than Friday, Oct. 13
  • ACBE Festival & Trade Mission take place: Nov. 8-13 Trade Mission, Nov. 10-13 Festival

Festival Registration Instructions

Note: Festival beer registration and trade mission travel require separate registration form completions.

1. Festival Registration – Register your brewery and any beers to be shipped to Japan for the festival via the form at the bottom of this page no later than Monday, Oct. 2. Registration instructions differ by distribution status:

  • Participating breweries that are represented by a Japanese importer:
    • are asked to work with their importer to ensure products will be represented and supplied at the event
    • are invited to send up to two kegs of beer (one-way plastic kegs only) to be poured at the festival by the importer
  • Participating breweries without importer representation in Japan:
    • are asked to send six total cases from one to three styles of beer in cans or bottles only. Draft beer is only available to brewers with existing distribution in Japan.

2. Export Certificate Submission – Both documents are due no later than Tuesday, Oct 3 for all beer being sent for consolidation.

To ship beer to Japan, breweries must complete and provide two documents for customs clearance. These documents must be emailed (in word doc format) to Steve Parr and Leonard Noto. Signatures are not needed on these forms. For breweries that have previously shipped beer to Japan or participated in an EDP shipment to Japan, it is suggested that previously completed export certificates be used as a template. Specifically, each brewery will need to fill out the following documents on brewery letterhead with your logo:

  1. Manufacturers Certificate for each beer – download template
    This certificate breaks down the ingredients in each product by weight in the recipe, including any specialty (non-regular beer) ingredients and their country of origin. Water, malted barley, hops, and yeast do not need to state their country of origin, only ingredients such as fruit, spices, etc. The contents/requirements of this certificate are:
    • On company letterhead with the title “Manufacturers Certification”
    • Name of the Beer
    • Packaging Type and Size in oz and ml (bottles, cans, kegs)
    • Alcohol Percentage
    • List of ingredients with their percentage by weight in the recipe as well as the country of origin of any specialty ingredients. This is the most critical portion of this certificate. To calculate the numbers, it is sufficient to take the weight of all ingredients going into the recipe (malted barley, hops, water, yeast, and any specialty ingredients) rather than what is in the finished product once filtered. If there are any specialty ingredients, their country of origin must be listed. Hop and grain types do not need to be separated, however, wheat should be listed as a separate item if present in the recipe.
    • A standard statement that the ingredients and processing requirements meet US Food requirements for human consumption.
    • Name of the person authorized to provide this information as well as the brewery address at the bottom of the page.
  2. Production Process Statement for each beer– download template
    This certificate outlines the production process from brew day all the way through to packaging. You can use a template for clean (non-sour or BA) beers and just change the name and ingredients list at the top. For beers with special ingredients, it should be noted where in the process those ingredients are used. The contents/requirements of this certificate are:
    • On company letterhead with the title “Production Process Sheet”
    • Name of the beer
    • Ingredients list that matches the accompanying Manufacturers Certificate
    • Production process steps, including any applicable barrel aging or unique steps. Please list the method of filtering used if and where it applies in the process.
    • Any specialty ingredients used must be present at their correct step in the production process.

Brewers Association Trade Mission Application

The Brewers Association will be hosting a trade mission to Japan centered around the ACBE event.  The trade mission will enable participating breweries to meet with importers, visit retail locations and HORECA accounts, attend media functions and participate in other activities that promote American craft beer in the market.   This is an opportunity both for breweries that have beer in the market and breweries that are looking to enter Japan.  Brewery representative presence enhances the impact of promoting American craft beer abroad and provides a valuable opportunity for brewery staff to better understand market opportunities.

The EDP has set aside a budget to offer travel assistance in the form of reimbursement for certain expenses for brewery representatives traveling to Tokyo as part of this BA mission. Participants will be expected to represent the BA and American craft beer industry generally, work the festival on behalf of the BA, and participate in other organized EDP activities.  Interested brewery staff are asked to complete the online application by Sept 11.  Review and selection of applications will take place on an ongoing basis and will be determined using criteria including the timing of application, number of applicants, and application alignment with the activity’s mission and goals. 

Apply for Trade Mission Travel here.

Shipping Beer to Consolidation

Beers are due at the Wilmington, California warehouse no later than Friday, October 13. Late arrivals cannot be accepted for this shipment.

Please refrain from including non-beer items in your shipment (stickers, merchandise, etc.) as they will not be included in the consolidated shipment to Japan.

All cases must be clearly labeled “BA/Japan” or print/attach this label.

Note: Palletized deliveries must be scheduled with Global Craft prior to arrival. It is required to have a dock appointment otherwise delivery may be refused or assessed for additional fees.

Global Craft Trading Warehouse:

Global Craft Trading, Inc.
Attn: BA/JAPAN
901 East “E” Street
Suite 201
Wilmington, CA 90744
Tel: 310-514-7226

Delivery Contact Person: Leonard Noto, ops@globalcraft.com, 310-514-7226

Beer Registration Form

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