--- title: "Sapporo Breweries plans to shift non‑alcoholic beer production from Canada to the US in 2027" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/business/sapporo-breweries-plans-to-shift-nonalcoholic-beer-production-from-canada-to-the" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/sapporo-breweries-plans-to-shift-nonalcoholic-beer-production-from-canada-to-the" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/business/sapporo-breweries-plans-to-shift-nonalcoholic-beer-production-from-canada-to-the.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/sapporo-breweries-plans-to-shift-nonalcoholic-beer-production-from-canada-to-the" category: "Business & Economy" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-09T02:05:16.616Z" source_reported: "2026-09-08T22:19:04.000Z" updated: "2026-09-09T02:05:16.616Z" trust_score: 86 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-09T03:00:08.697369+00:00" --- # Sapporo Breweries plans to shift non‑alcoholic beer production from Canada to the US in 2027 *The move targets 0.5 % of Sleeman's Canadian output and is driven by 50 % tariffs imposed by the Trump administration* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 86 of 100, higher is better. Includes named spokesperson, Rieko Shofu interview, and specific figures from statements. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Explains tariff cause, quotes officials, gives dates and figures, notes uncertainty about finalization. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headline matches factual content; no sensational language used. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Sapporo Breweries will move non‑alcoholic beer production from Canada to the US by the first half of 2027. - The shift is a response to 50 % tariffs on Canadian beer exports introduced by the Trump administration. - Sleeman says the relocation is not imminent or finalised and the product represents about 0.5 % of its Canadian output. - Chief Strategy Officer Rieko Shofu says Sapporo is also looking at adding capacity on the US West Coast. Sapporo Breweries Ltd. announced that it intends to transfer production of its non‑alcoholic beer from the Sleeman Breweries facility in Guelph, Canada, to a United States location in the first half of 2027. The decision follows the introduction of 50 % tariffs on Canadian beer exports by the Trump administration. A Sleeman spokesperson told CTV News that no final decision has been made and that the relocation is not imminent or finalised. The spokesperson added that the non‑alcoholic beer destined for the US market accounts for about 0.5 % of Sleeman’s total Canadian production, and that all beer sold in Canada is brewed locally except for certain imported cans. Chief Strategy Officer Rieko Shofu said Sapporo is also considering adding manufacturing capacity on the US West Coast, either by building a new brewery, acquiring an existing one, or contracting with another producer. ## Status of the relocation CTV News reported the spokesperson’s statement that “the relocation of Sapporo 0.0% production for the U.S. market from Sleeman Breweries’ Canadian facilities to Sapporo USA’s U.S. facilities is not imminent or finalized.” American Lookout, by contrast, wrote that “Sapporo Breweries is moving some of its production to the United States. This is thanks to Trump’s tariffs on Canada.” > The relocation of Sapporo 0.0% production for the U.S. market from Sleeman Breweries’ Canadian facilities to Sapporo USA’s U.S. facilities is not imminent or finalized. > > — Sleeman spokesperson, CTV News **0.5%** — Share of Sleeman’s Canadian output (Non‑alcoholic beer for the U.S. market) ## Left‑rated blindspot No left‑rated outlet ran this story. ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 62% (5) - Right: 38% (3) 2 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-09T03:00:08.697369+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 6 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-09T03:30:08.630Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The centre‑rated reports led on the tariff motive, the 2027 timeline and the small share of production involved. CTV News quoted the Sleeman spokesperson, noting the move is not imminent, that the product represents 0.5 % of total output, and that all beer sold in Canada is brewed locally except for imported cans. Digests from The Hill, BBC News, The Japan Times and Bloomberg echoed the shift, the 50 % tariff trigger and the first‑half‑2027 schedule, but did not provide additional wording. ### Right - American Lookout framed the shift as a direct consequence of Trump’s tariffs, stating “Sapporo Breweries is moving some of its production to the United States. This is thanks to Trump’s tariffs on Canada.” The report also quoted Chief Strategy Officer Rieko Shofu, saying Sapporo is “considering adding manufacturing capacity on the West Coast.” It highlighted the move as part of a broader revamp of North American operations, mentioning past acquisitions and divestments. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 2 - mixed: 1 - high: 4 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Epoch Times](https://theepochtimes.com/world/sapporo-to-relocate-brewing-operations-from-canada-to-us-amid-tariff-fallout-6084748) — Sapporo to Relocate Brewing Operations from Canada to US Amid Tariff Fallout - [CTV News](https://ctvnews.ca/kitchener/guelph/article/sleeman-calls-sapporos-plan-to-move-canadian-operations-to-the-us-not-imminent-or-finalized) — Sleeman calls Sapporo’s plan to move Canadian operations to the U.S. ‘not imminent or finalized’ - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/business/6077248-sapporo-moves-production-us-canada) — Sapporo to move some beer production from Canada to US after tariffs - [BBC News](https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c87ve09pgqzo) — Sapporo to move some production to US after 50% tariff - [American Lookout](https://headlines.americanlookout.com/sapporo-shifting-production-from-canada-after-trump-tariffs) — Sapporo Shifting Production From Canada After Trump Tariffs - [Real News Feed](https://realnewsfeed.com/sapporo-shifting-production-from-canada-after-trump-tariffs) — Sapporo Shifting Production From Canada After Trump Tariffs - [protrumpnews.com](https://protrumpnews.com/sapporo-shifting-production-from-canada-after-trump-tariffs) — Sapporo Shifting Production From Canada After Trump Tariffs - [The Japan Times](https://japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/09/08/companies/sapporo-beer-canada-production-shift-us) — Sapporo Breweries moving some production to U.S. from Canada amid tariff row - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/1f6894c919a0b88a) — Sapporo Breweries moving some production to U.S. from Canada amid tariff row - [Bloomberg](https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-07/sapporo-beer-moving-production-to-us-from-canada-after-tariffs?srnd=all) — Sapporo Beer Moving Production to US From Canada After Tariffs ## Questions **When is Sapporo planning to move production to the United States?** The company aims to shift the non‑alcoholic beer production from its Canadian facility to a US site in the first half of 2027, according to the reports from both centre and right outlets. **What proportion of Sleeman's Canadian output does the non‑alcoholic beer represent?** The Sleeman spokesperson told CTV News that the non‑alcoholic beer destined for the US market makes up about 0.5 % of Sleeman’s total production in Canada. **Why is Sapporo moving production out of Canada?** Both centre and right reports link the move to 50 % tariffs on Canadian beer exports imposed by the Trump administration, which increase the cost of shipping Canadian‑made beer to the US market. **Is Sapporo planning any new capacity on the US West Coast?** Chief Strategy Officer Rieko Shofu said the company is considering adding manufacturing capacity on the US West Coast, either by building, acquiring or contracting with another brewery. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/business/sapporo-breweries-plans-to-shift-nonalcoholic-beer-production-from-canada-to-the. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Sapporo Breweries plans to shift non‑alcoholic beer production from Canada to the US in 2027", https://mediabias.news/business/sapporo-breweries-plans-to-shift-nonalcoholic-beer-production-from-canada-to-the