Brewers at New England Brewing Company in Woodbridge say if the standoff over President Donald Trump’s border wall with Mexico carries on any longer, they could have trouble getting new brews on the market.
Marty Juliano, director of business development for New England Brewing Company, says that backup could cause major problems for an industry where ingredient purchases and production lines are planned months in advance.
He says with the bureau shuttered for nearly three weeks now, applications from the more than 7,000 breweries in the U.S. are piling up.
"The longer it goes on, the longer that backs up, and the longer it will take them to get to it once they reopen," he says.
For small breweries like New England Brewing Company, that can mean serious disruption. Luckily for them, its production slate for the next month or two is all familiar brands. But Juliano says if the shutdown lasts too much longer, it could get costly.
News 12 reached out to Woodbridge's Rep. Rosa DeLauro. She said, "Small businesses like breweries should not have to worry about products they are excited to launch and sell because of the president's manufactured crisis at the border."