Canada, BC: Beer Canada proposing a freeze on tax increases on beer

As British Columbians prepare to head to the polls, Beer Canada is proposing a freeze on tax increases on beer, Castanet.net reported on October 1.

Farm groups, bar and restaurant owners, tourism and hospitality associations and brewers started Freeze it for Them to showcase the "seed-to-sip" role that beer plays in the economy.

Roughly 47 per cent of the price of beer in Canada is tax, which is nearly five times higher than the United States.

Freeze it for Them will roll out over the next few weeks by Here for Beer, an online community of 130,000 beer enthusiasts run by Beer Canada.

Interim Beer Canada President Luke Chapman says Canadian consumers, small businesses and the thousands of people working in areas hit hardest by the pandemic – restaurants, hospitality, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and transportation – need support.

“Freezing beer tax increases is one small, no-cost decision that federal and provincial governments can make to provide some relief where it’s needed most,” Chapman said.

Barley Council of Canada Chair Zenneth Faye said Canadian brewers provide a reliable high-value market to barley farmers.

“Barley farmers provide brewers with one of the primary ingredients for beer. When beverage alcohol taxes go up every year, that not only makes drinks less affordable for Canadians but also hurts the livelihoods of Canadian barley farmers,” Faye said.

More than 149,000 Canadians work in jobs directly or indirectly supported by the production and sale of beer.