In August, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs, and Border Protection ruled that all stainless steel beer kegs sold or imported into the United States must be marked with their country of origin (for example, “Made in Belgium” or “Product of Germany”). This ruling applies to both full and empty kegs, and the identification must be as “legible, indelible, and permanent” as possible. According to the Brewers Association, which had sought clarification prior to the ruling, these updates “will strengthen the existing recommendation to trace all material used in the construction of refillable beer kegs to the point of origin.”