Brewers Association expands craft beer exports at Rimini trade show
Rimini drew 145 buyers from 45 countries, giving U.S. craft brewers a real shot at export deals beyond the taproom.
American craft beer is still fighting for shelf space at home, but the Brewers Association is betting that the next real growth lane may be overseas. Its Q2 2026 Export Development Program update says the group used Beer & Food Attraction in Rimini, Italy, to build direct ties with qualified importers and distributors, the exact kind of trade contact small breweries need if they want export sales to become more than a side hustle.
The numbers from the June 2 update show a busy floor, not a token presence. The association said 145 buyers attended from 45 countries, while total attendance at the broader show landed at roughly 43,000 to 45,000 visitors. About 600 exhibitors from 16 countries took part, and attendance rose 7 percent, a sign that Rimini remains a serious trade stop rather than a branding exercise.
For American breweries, that matters because the program’s value depends on actual buyer access, not just visibility. The Brewers Association said its EDP booth was highly visible and active, with outreach reaching buyers from Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Mexico, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine. That spread is the point: if a U.S. brewery can get in front of the right importer or distributor, it can turn a local brand into something with room to move beyond domestic channels.
The association also framed the program’s broader job clearly. The Export Development Program is designed to help small and independent American craft brewers find international opportunities, educate trade audiences about proper storage and handling, and support export growth with USDA-backed resources. That mix of education and market access is a practical one, because a beer that travels badly is no export win at all.
In a week packed with taproom openings and local-market chatter, Rimini offered a different kind of stakes. The real test for U.S. craft beer is not just whether it can make noise in a crowded domestic market, but whether it can turn a trade-show handshake in Italy into a lasting export relationship.
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