OTTAWA — The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade, has announced plans to eliminate all federal impediments to alcoholic beverages moving across borders within Canada.
In Budget 2019, the Government of Canada has introduced legislation which will remove the federal requirement that alcohol moving from one province to another go through a provincial liquor authority. Once that measure passes, provinces and territories will need to make their own changes in order for direct-to-consumer shipping to be allowed across Canada.
“For too long, Canadians have been frustrated by the restrictions on the sale of Canadian beer, wine and spirits between provinces and territories. The proposed legislative amendments would remove the only remaining federal barrier to trade in alcohol and the onus will be on provincial and territorial governments to change their own regulations, paving the way for direct-to-consumer alcohol sales from across Canada,” says LeBlanc. “Removing barriers to trade between provinces and territories fosters economic growth, reduces the regulatory burden on our small and medium-sized businesses and creates good, middle-class jobs across the country.”
