Japanese whiskey manufacturers plan to suspend main distillery production on January 1st.

According to James B. Beam Distilling Co., a well-known bourbon whiskey producer in Kentucky, plans to temporarily suspend production at its main distillery on January 1. The decision comes as Kentucky's aged whiskey barrel inventory continues to build up, and amidst uncertainty over the outlook of the trade war initiated by President Trump. The Kentucky Distillers' Association reported in October that the number of aged bourbon whiskey barrels in the state's distilleries reached a record high of 16.1 million barrels. Due to the state's tax on aged spirits barrels, distillers have to incur costs for these inventories. Data from the industry association shows that Kentucky distillers paid $75 million in taxes on aged whiskey barrels this year, an increase of 27% from 2014.