Craft breweries face higher costs for aluminium cans, while the multinational beer companies make bulk purchases. Local breweries need access to markets in other provinces but trade barriers between provinces remain. Forty-five days ago, Liberal Minister Anita Annand said interprovincial trade barriers could be removed within 30 days.
Taxes on Ontario beers are the highest in Canada. The Carney Liberals plan to increase taxes on beer, wine, and spirits on April 1st. The Liberals have increased taxes on alcohol every year since 2017. Carney’s plan to increase the industrial Carbon Tax will make matters even worse for local breweries.
Craft breweries are a vital part of our community, offering unique products and catering to visiting tourists as well as the local crowd. We need to ensure they have a level playing field and aren’t burdened by excessive taxation or restrictive trade policies that favour large corporations over local producers.