Today, an expert panel convened pursuant to the dispute resolution process of the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) ruled that the Government of Alberta's Small Brewers Development Program, which discriminates against out-of-province craft beers, does not comply with the province's free trade obligations under Canada's Agreement on Internal Trade. The challenge is a huge victory for Artisan Ales, a Calgary owned-and-operated small business, whose business was devastated by the discriminatory policy designed to restrict access to the quality craft beers it imports from other provinces.
A majority of the panel agreed with both Artisan Ales and with the Province of Saskatchewan, who joined them in disputing the policy, that the 2016 tax-and-refund scheme "clearly discriminates[s] against the beer products of non-Alberta breweries in the sale of those products within Alberta."
The panel's decision can be found here.
