# What is inside a can: the Coca-Cola and Eastman can coating case

The second-longest prison sentence on this list is for the lining of a beverage can: 14 years, for formulas that cost nearly $120 million to develop.

Updated November 10, 2026. Interactive version: https://www.autumn.ai/resources/china-spy-cases/inside-a-can

## 1. The part you never see: A can is lined on the inside

For years the lining was made with BPA. It keeps the drink from losing flavor and stops the container from corroding or reacting with what is in it.

## 2. The replacement: Then the industry had to replace it

BPA raised health concerns, so companies went looking for BPA-free coatings. Witnesses at trial called the work very complex, expensive and time-consuming.

## 3. What it cost to develop: $120M

The stolen formulas cost nearly $120 million to develop. They belonged to seven companies. A chemist had access to them while working at Coca-Cola in Atlanta and then at Eastman Chemical in Kingsport, Tennessee.

The seven companies: Akzo-Nobel, BASF, Dow Chemical, PPG, Toyochem, Sherwin Williams, Eastman Chemical.

## 4. The plan: A new coating company in China

The chemist took the formulas to set up a BPA-free coating business with a corporate partner in Weihai. The two received millions of dollars in Chinese government grants for it, according to evidence at trial.

## 5. The sentence: 14 years in prison

A jury convicted the chemist of economic espionage and trade secret theft in April 2021, after a thirteen-day trial. The sentence was 168 months and a $200,000 fine.

## Sources

- [Justice Department: 168-month sentence in the can coating case, May 2022](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtn/pr/phd-chemist-sentenced-168-months-conspiracy-steal-traded-secrets-economic-espionage)

Only cases that name the company are counted; many never do. “Charged” cases are unproven allegations and defendants are presumed innocent. Compiled by Autumn (https://www.autumn.ai).