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2w ago

Alberta Reverts Brewery Fee Schedule in Response to U.S. Tariffs

Raising the limit to 30 million litres aims to ease cost pressures on local brewers stemming from U.S. aluminum tariffs.

Alberta has ditched a brand new fee schedule for beer makers citing U.S. tariffs and a need to support business growth. A bartender pours a craft beer in Buffalo Grove, Ill., Thursday, Feb. 9, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Nam Y. Huh

Overview

  • Alberta’s government abandoned its February fee changes and restored a 30-million-litre production threshold on June 1, replacing the planned 18-million-litre cap.
  • Press secretary Brandon Aboultaif said the rollback was driven by higher aluminum tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and broader trade uncertainty.
  • Under the scrapped schedule, Calgary’s Big Rock Brewery faced about $1.4 million in extra annual fees and already paid roughly $400 000 more over three months.
  • Big Rock’s vice-president and the Alberta Small Brewers Association praised the reversal as vital support for local producers ahead of peak summer sales.
  • Beer Canada, which had backed the February adjustments to aid truly small brewers, is now urging the province to implement permanent, broad-based beer tax relief.