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 pleased to announce the 2025 edition of its American craft beer consumer festival in Tokyo, Japan. Now in its eighth year, the event has become a premier platform for American craft breweries to showcase their beers to Japanese consumers and trade.
This year marks an exciting evolution, as the festival moves to a new venue—Hibiya Park in central Tokyo—and debuts a partnership with the U.S. Meat Export Federation to launch an American BBQ festival component.
The 2025 American Craft Beer Experience (ACBE) will take place Saturday, November 22, through Monday, November 24, coinciding with Japan’s public holiday weekend.
EDP member brewery representatives are invited to apply to participate in person as part of an organized trade mission surrounding the event. Read all about last year’s mission in the January 2025 EDP Newsletter.
Event Timeline
- Trade Mission Travel Application Deadline: Friday, Sept. 5
- Beer Registration Deadline: Friday, Sept 12
- Export Certificates Submission Deadline: Monday, Sept 15
- Consolidation Deadline: beer must arrive no later than Monday, Oct. 20
- ACBE Festival & Trade Mission takes place: Nov. 19 -24
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 Friday, Sept. 12. 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. Please note that the EDP shipment is not meant to cover all festival beer needs and brewers are encouraged to work with their importer partner to coordinate sample shipments ahead of the festival dates.
- 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 eight total cases of 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 Certificates Submission – All three documents are due no later than Monday, September 15, for all beer being sent for consolidation.
To ship beer to Japan, breweries must complete and provide three documents for customs clearance. These documents must be emailed (in Word doc format) to EDPShipping@BrewersAssociation.org.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Certificate for Non-GR & GMO one per brewery – download template
This certificate is required by the Japan Customs & Quarantine Office from each brewery shipping beer to Japan and serves as a statement regarding the use of non-GMO ingredients. The contents/requirements of this certificate are:
- On company letterhead with the title “Production Process Sheet”
- Brewery name
- List names of all beers shipped
- Signature, name, brewery, and title of relevant brewery representative
Brewers Association Trade Mission Application
The Brewers Association (BA) is organizing a trade mission to Japan in conjunction with the ACBE event. This mission offers participating breweries the chance to connect with importers, visit retail and HORECA accounts, attend media engagements, and take part in a range of activities designed to promote American craft beer in the Japanese market. It is a valuable opportunity for both breweries already exporting to Japan and those seeking market entry. The presence of brewery representatives greatly strengthens the impact of these promotional efforts and provides firsthand insights into market dynamics.
To support participation, the Export Development Program (EDP) has allocated funds to offer travel assistance. This support will be provided as reimbursements for select travel expenses incurred by brewery representatives traveling to Tokyo as part of the BA mission.
Participants will be expected to represent the BA and the broader American craft beer industry, staff the festival on behalf of the BA, and engage in other scheduled EDP activities. Interested brewery staff should complete the online application by September 5. Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis, with selection based on factors such as application timing, the number of applicants, and how well the submission aligns with the mission and goals of the activity.
Apply for Trade Mission Travel here.
Shipping Beer to Consolidation
Beers are due at the Wilmington, California warehouse no later than Friday, October 4. Late arrivals cannot be accepted for this shipment.
Please refrain from including non-beer items (stickers, merchandise, etc.) in your shipment, as they will not be included in the consolidated shipment to Japan.
All cases must be labeled “BA/Japan” or print/attach this label.
Note: Palletized deliveries must be scheduled with Balmuth & Co. before arrival. A dock appointment is required; otherwise, delivery may be refused or assessed additional fees.
West Coast Consolidation Address:
Balmuth & Company LLC Warehouse
Attn: BrewersAssoc/ACBEJapan
901 East “E” Street Suite 201
Wilmington, CA 90744
Delivery Contact: ops@balmuth.com
Leonard Noto (310) 514-7226
Beer Registration Form
If the form does not appear below, please refresh your browser.
Resource Hub