Ottawa has reached a deal with the majority of provinces to allow Canadian booze to flow more freely across the country just as U.S. liquor is pulled from their store shelves.
The move is part of a host of changes being worked on by the federal, provincial and territorial governments that were announced late Wednesday to add $200 billion to the Canadian economy while it’s rocked by U.S. tariffs.
“This is unprecedented action to reduce trade barriers in Canada,” Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand told CBC News.
“This is a pivotal moment for Canada to take bold and united action in the face of the United States’ unjustified decision to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods.”
All provinces, except P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador, have agreed to remove the obstacles preventing their alcohol from being sold in other jurisdictions.
Could be their scale is so small that they may fear losing out, tho chances are their sales will go up. When I drank beer I really liked moosehead, but it was so expensive compared to the other beers, if there was no “import tax” I prolly would have only drank that beer making for a hell of a lot more sales (used to drink a 6 pack a day)
Moosehead’s a New Brunswick-based company, owned by the Olands, which are a significant name in the Canadian beer industry. It’s an old and well-established company, with significant means (at least compared to other independent brewers). They stand to do well from this.
Breweries on the islands do not have the distribution networks necessary to capitalize on this, and are much more likely to see themselves smothered by, well, Mooshead and the like, than they are to benefit.
Ah, good point, trade liberalization like this is best supported by equalizing access for smaller producers. Example: via support programs for smaller producers in the way of funding for, or even direct establishment of, co-op style distributors with scaled agreements for transport and processing.