Craft beer group less than gung-ho about lowering cross-border barriers
Move to raise cross-border alcohol limits is welcome, but it could hurt too, producer says
As the New Brunswick government moves toward increasing the amount of alcohol people can bring in from other provinces, a craft brewer association isn't entirely enthusiastic — as long as the playing field for producers remains uneven.
At a meeting in Saint Andrews last week, Premier Brian Gallant said he and the other premiers agreed to "significantly increase" the import limits for alcohol.
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"It's a positive step for the consumer and opening up the industry," said Wendy Papadopolous, president of the New Brunswick Craft Alcohol Producers Association, "but certainly something we have to be careful of going forward."
Papadopolous, a co-owner of Big Tide Brewing Company in Saint John, said consumers' pursuit of low prices could hurt local craft brewers.
"There's another side of consumers always looking for the best deal on things," she said.
"If they're able to cross over into Nova Scotia or into Quebec or into any of the other provinces that we border and buy craft alcohol or beer at a cheaper price and bring it home in larger quantities, then it certainly will have an impact on the producers here."
Papadopolous said craft alcohol producers aren't "big beer," and they can't offer the same discounts larger breweries provide because the margins are smaller.
Specifics of the cross-border shopping agreement reached at the Council of the Federation have not been released.
Gallant said it could be weeks or months before specific new limits are enacted.
Papadopolous said she hopes the province also lowers taxes on alcohol — Quebec liquor taxes are the lowest in Canada — to help level the playing field, lessening the savings on inter-provincial booze shopping.
She'd also like to see more New Brunswick-produced alcohol made available in other provinces. The New Brunswick Liquor Corp. imports liquor from around the world, but many New Brunswick-made products can only be bought in this province.
"In addition to being fairly taxed, so we can be cost competitive, is accessibility and export, that there are equal opportunities for New Brunswick producers in other provincial liquor stores and other liquor corporations, the same way [New Brunswick] treats those same producers in our province."