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(NEXSTAR) – Tall cans of AriZona iced tea have been sitting in refrigerated cases of gas stations and convenience stores since 1997, proudly emblazoned with their 99-cent price tag. The cans may soon need a redesign to reflect a new price, the company’s founder fears.

The 99-cent price, which has been a constant through economic ups and downs of the past 28 years, may no longer be tenable now that a 50% tariff on imported aluminum has taken effect, said AriZona’s founder Don Vultaggio.

“We’re holding the line for now despite rising aluminum costs,” Vultaggio said. “It’s particularly unfair—80% of our can sheet metal comes from recycled U.S. beverage cans, yet 100% of our aluminum is subject to tariffs.”

The rising cost of doing business is nothing new to Vultaggio. He spoke to Nexstar in 2022 about how AriZona was getting creative to keep its 99-cent price in place, despite record inflation and pandemic-era supply chain issues. The company has built up production facilities around the country so the cans don’t have to travel as far, therefore saving on shipping costs. They’ve also changed the lids of their cans to use less aluminum and, in 2020, made their 23-ounce cans a little smaller (22 ounces).

“Those are the kinds of things you do behind the scenes that don’t affect the consumer,” he said at the time.

But it may no longer be possible to spare the consumer, Vultaggio said Wednesday.

“If pressures keep rising, we may have no choice but to adjust pricing, though we’ll work hard to avoid it.”

He didn’t specify what the new price point for its tall cans might be. If the price were to be determined by inflation alone, the 99-cent price set in 1997 would be $2.01 today.

AriZona drinks on display at a convenience store on Aug. 13, 2025. (Alix Martichoux / Nexstar)

He promised to find savings wherever possible, like with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) used in plastic packaging. Vultaggio told the New York Times it would be lowering the price of its drinks in plastic bottles from $1.25 to $1.

“Wherever we see savings—like lower crude oil costs for PET—we’re passing them to customers with deeper promotions or outright price cuts, including plastic tall boys at $1.”

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