With difficulties in their home market, US craft brewers are looking to Southeast Asia for more sales
According to the Brewers Association (BA), it is launching a new thrust to help American craft brewers that are actively focusing on developing markets in Southeast Asia. The BA is a US-based professional association which represents more than 9,000 small and independent American craft brewers.
Through new export initiatives and promotional programmes, the Association aims to build long-term footholds in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. At the heart of this push is the BA’s Export Development Program (EDP), announced at the end of August which has launched a series of trade and consumer initiatives specifically designed for Southeast Asia. The strategy involves not just showcasing US craft beer at regional trade shows, but also bringing international buyers to US events; providing breweries with market research; and boosting education on regulation and distribution in Southeast Asian markets.
Backing these efforts is also financial and institutional support. The US Department of Agriculture, via its Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), has granted millions to enable this export expansion, including covering costs for advertising, trade missions, market intelligence and logistical efforts. The emphasis is on enabling smaller craft breweries, not just major players, to access overseas opportunity, according to the BA.
Converting short term interest into durable demand does face challenges. Southeast Asia’s regulations, import taxes, supply chain logistics, and consumer taste preferences remain barriers. The BA acknowledges that generating curiosity among consumers is one thing; sustaining distribution, ensuring legal compliance, and managing cost‐structures so beer remains competitively priced are another.
Despite the challenges, Southeast Asia represents one of the fastest growing regions in global beer consumption, according to the BA, with rising urban affluence, a growing middle class, and increasing curiosity for premium, differentiated beverages, providing appropriate market conditions for US craft brands.
The Southeast Asia craft beer market was valued at US$5.3 billion in 2024, with forecasts projecting expansion to around US$31.6 billion by 2033, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 22% over that period, according to market research company, IMARC Group.
In contrast, American craft beer exports have been struggling. According to the Brewers Association’s EDP, US craft beer exports in 2024 were valued at US$47 million, down from about US$55 million in 2023 – nearly a 15% decline.
