This has been an eventful year for the keg industry. Between international trade considerations and the recent Commerce Department announcement, G4 Kegs has been monitoring all developments and working hard to fight on behalf of our clients in order to minimize the effects on your bottom line.
Back in September, a 10% tariff went into effect on Chinese goods. When that was imposed, we held our prices in the best interest of our customers. Since then, we have been monitoring another development. A few weeks ago, we shared with you that the Department of Commerce issued duties on Chinese kegs spanning from 15.78% to 144%, and that we would need to adjust our keg pricing to account for this.
Fortunately, the imposed duty on G4 Kegs is at the lowest end of this spectrum. That’s why we are pleased to announce that unlike other keg suppliers, we are able to keep our price increase at less than 10%. As one of the only companies not affected by a 144% duty, we are confident that we will be able to offer the most affordable Chinese kegs in the industry.
We will hold our current prices until May 31st to give our customers as much time as possible to place orders before the increase. New prices will go into effect on June 1st.
Expanding Your Keg Options
That said, the recent impacts on Chinese keg imports are an example of something we can’t control. We want to create as much predictability as possible in our business and yours — which is why for the past two years, we have been working to grow a more diverse product selection and partnerships that mitigate the risks associated with doing business globally.
On top of that, we have listened to our customers — and we’ve heard that you want options. Our clients represent a diverse range of businesses with a wide variety of needs and preferences, and we want our product selection to reflect that.
We are thrilled to introduce European kegs to the G4 lineup!
The G4 Kegs 8-Point Partner Inspection
We don’t take on new manufacturing partners lightly — in fact, this represents the culmination of many months of work and a thorough evaluation process. As you know, G4 Kegs is committed to delivering quality, affordable kegs that serve to elevate your craft and your business. Below you’ll find the 8-point inspection checklist we use to evaluate our manufacturing partners — and what makes a G4 Keg a G4 Keg.
- Experience: We want to work with proven and established companies, and only seek partners with a degree of organizational maturity that ensures operations are streamlined — particularly in keg production. As such, we ensure that all manufacturing partners have been making kegs for at least five years.
- Environment: Our leadership team personally visits each facility that manufactures G4 Kegs to ensure that they are upholding the highest possible standard of quality and care, and that they have clean and safe working environments.
- Third-Party Certification: All of our manufacturing partners are certified by leading global breweries for keg production (Heineken, AB-InBev, Carlsburg, etc.).
- Innovation: We want partners who are always striving toward a better, safer, greener keg. From more environmentally friendly pickling and passivation processes to solar-powered factories, all G4 partners share our commitment to increased efficiency and sustainability.
- Welds: Strong, smooth, and consistent welds are critical to the health and longevity of your keg — which is why all of our manufacturing partners use the most advanced welding technologies available to ensure the best welds inside and out.
- Testing: From drop testing, to neck testing, to pressure testing, all G4 kegs exceed industry testing standards so you can be sure you’re getting the highest possible quality.
- Spears: All G4 kegs use Micro Matic — the trusted leader in keg spear technology (with the exception of our threaded kegs). Our manufacturing partners must also be partnered with Micro Matic.
- Materials: G4 Kegs use the highest quality 304 food grade, non-corrosive stainless steel. We make sure that all our manufacturing partners share this same commitment to top tier materials.
More Pricing Updates
In addition, we took this opportunity to take a fresh look at some of our tiered pricing options. We noticed that many of our customers couldn't take advantage of our volume pricing — since many don't have the capacity or capital to purchase 200+ kegs at once. Since many of our customers were placing regular, lower volume orders, we changed our pricing structure to make sure you get the best deal. Contact your keg consultant to learn what this could mean for your next order!
As always, thank you for your continued partnership with G4 Kegs.
Cheers!
– Brian, Max, Emma, Chris, John, Karrie, Jazmyne, Roland, Loren, and Stephen at G4 Kegs