Latest news with #interprovincialtrade
CTV News
13 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Craft brewers warn red tape could sour plans for cross-Canada beer sales
Pouring into new markets - and the cups of millions of new customers - is on the table for Canada's craft breweries, but some business owners are raising more questions than toasts. A federal agreement is set to allow alcohol producers to sell straight to consumers in most provinces by May 2026, tearing down long standing interprovincial trade barriers. All but one province, Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the Yukon are on board. Some brewers, however, say the trouble of moving beer across borders outweighs the benefits. 'It's probably not something that we would look to offer in the near future, based on the logistical challenges and the costs of shipping,' said Jared Murphy, co-owner of Lone Oak Brewing Co. in P.E.I. Beer is heavy, shipping in bulk is pricey and ideally it should be kept cold. For small producers, those are bigger problems, Murphy said. However, the plan could create opportunities for transport companies, said Christine Comeau, executive director of the Canadian Craft Brewers Association. She doubts it will move the needle if costs stay high. 'I don't think that it's going to be a huge kind of market opportunity for us,' she added. Comeau said Canadian craft brewers are already struggling with higher import volumes, tariffs and rising costs for cans, cardboard and transport. 'Any kind of break or opportunity that they can have to have increased market access or reduced markups is something that we're in favour of.' Even if freight issues are solved, each province still follows its own tax rules. Regulatory boards tend to protect and favour local businesses, Murphy said. 'If you are in New Brunswick and you're looking to sell alcohol, they're more likely to create advantageous taxation structures for local producers,' Murphy said. 'This is a symbolic move in trade more than anything else,' said Frederic Gionet, Atlantic director at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. He added that if red tape can be reduced, Canada could apply the same solutions to other industries, as the country faces a trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump. In an emailed statement to CTV News, P.E.I. Finance Minister Jill Burridge said there are 'many administrative details to work out' and 'a lot of complexities involved in changing regulated spaces,' but she is 'optimistic about meeting the May 2026 deadline.' For now, the beer at Lone Oak stays local as the rules get a sober review.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Saskatchewan premier signs two MOUs to open up interprovincial trade routes
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has been on an MOU-signing spree, inking two new agreements intended to improve interprovincial trade. While participating in the Council of the Federation (COF) summer meeting in Huntsville, Ont. on Tuesday, Moe signed an MOU with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. The premiers committed to working collaboratively on internal projects to transport oil, natural gas and critical minerals and make Canada less reliant on its southern neighbour. A renewed push for improved provincial trade was spurred in part by Prime Minister Mark Carney as well as the reality of U.S. tariffs imposed on Canada while other threats, such as annexation, are lobbed occasionally at Canada by President Donald Trump and members of his administration. 'All of our exporting industries have faced far too many bottlenecks in not only their production, but in limiting our ability to provide those products to nations around the world,' Moe said. Similarly, the MOU signed by Moe, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and the Arctic Gateway Group, also on Tuesday, aims to strengthen trade by streamlining access to and developing transportation corridors, specifically the Port of Churchill. MOUs — memorandums of understanding — typically outline the terms of agreements between parties. While they are usually non-binding, they can set the stage for future frameworks. Pipeline push The Saskatchewan-Alberta-Ontario MOU promotes shared infrastructure to get western oil and gas to new to refineries in southern Ontario and northern tidewater to the deep sea port in James Bay. 'I've said that I'm supportive of pipelines north, east and west. I'd like to see all of them built,' said Smith. 'Clearly, for opening up new markets our best opportunity is to build a pipeline to the northwest B.C. coast in order to access the Asian markets. But it should give us pause that we in Eastern Canada are overly reliant on oil that either has to come by way of the United States or has to be shipped in from overseas.' With that comes a unified stance on reversing Bill C-69 — Ottawa's impact-assessment law mandating several forms of assessment before a resource or infrastructure project gets approved — as well as removing the oil and gas emissions cap, tanker ban, and net-zero vehicle and electricity mandates. The Saskatchewan government said in a press release that the MOU will 'explore multiple pipeline and rail corridors, and expansion of processing hubs for critical minerals,' across the signatory provinces. More MOUs The Saskatchewan-Manitoba-Arctic Gateway Group MOU will 'unlock new opportunities for businesses in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to get their goods to market,' Kinew is quoted as saying in a Saskatchewan government press release. The agreement seeks to connect producers, processors and industries in the two provinces to the Arctic Trade Corridor through the Port of Churchill and emphasizes the need to secure federal funding and regulatory support 'to improve connectivity,' according to the release. On Monday, Moe signed a separate MOU with Kinew to move forward on a framework for direct-to-consumer alcohol sales. In the press release, the Government of Saskatchewan said 'improving labour mobility and trade are at the heart of this MOU.' Moe has said an MOU is 'an intentional document,' as he pushed provinces to sign onto the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA). 'This is actually a binding trade agreement,' said Moe of the NWPTA. Moe also recently signed trade-related MOUs with Prince Edward Island and Ontario. –with files from Cindy Tran Related Saskatchewan's Scott Moe invites all Canadian premiers to join western trade agreement With an eye to Saskatchewan's growing debt, expert sees 'stormy weather ahead' Saskatchewan premier discusses Liberal policy concerns, won't talk Western separation as federal election looms alsalloum@ The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Saskatchewan announces trade-related memorandums of understanding with Manitoba, PEI
Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe speaks to media following the First Minister's Meeting in Saskatoon, Sask., Monday, June 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards Saskatchewan has now added two more provinces to its list of improved interprovincial trade partners, as leaders from across Canada continue to move toward more integration in the face of U.S. tariffs. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with his opposite numbers in Prince Edward Island and Manitoba on Monday. The agreements include a framework for direct-to-consumer alcohol sales between the provinces, in addition to measures aimed at boosting interprovincial labour mobility and investment while strengthening public safety and maintaining Crown corporations. A similar MOU was signed between Saskatchewan and Ontario prior to the first ministers meeting in Saskatoon in early June. The total value of interprovincial trade between Saskatchewan and PEI was $44.25 million in 2021 – while trade with Manitoba totalled $6 billion. The announcements come as provincial premiers gathered for three days of meetings in Muskoka, Ont. and just days after Moe called on all provincial leaders to join the New West Partnership. 'You see numerous memorandum of understandings being signed, various pieces of legislation building on, not only the Canadian Free Trade Agreement that we have and some of the exemptions that are being removed, but maybe a discussion today about moving forward with a little bit more expansive agreement,' Moe said told reporters, referring to his New West Partnership pitch. 'These are all steps. They're steps in the right direction. We need to have free and open trade between our provinces.'
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘Creating more red tape': Sask. premier's New West invitation presents a challenge
WATCH: Saskatchewan's premier is calling on provincial leaders across the country to join the New West Partnership. WATCH: Saskatchewan's premier is calling on provincial leaders across the country to join the New West Partnership. A Saskatchewan economist says removing internal trade barriers may not be as straightforward as it seems as economies and agreements become more complex the farther they stretch. On Thursday, Premier Scott Moe invited provincial leaders across the country to join the New West Partnership, an interprovincial trade agreement that aims to streamline the movement of goods and workers. Keith Willoughby, the dean of Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan, says while New West provides a level of uncertainty in an increasingly uncertain economic time, its effectiveness could be limited with more provinces signing on. 'Weaving together a thread that will encompass the entire nation, that's a challenge,' Willoughby said. 'I think where we've seen it work well in Western Canada, it's not necessarily certain that this is going to have that same positive impact when you extend it across the nation.' Willoughby says each province has its own interests and own industries that drive each respective economy. Targeting each priority might undermine another facet of the agreement. By working to coordinate regulations and standards across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the New West Partnership has aimed to open up trade between the western provinces and potentially unlock billions in financial gains. The partnership was first established in 2010, with Manitoba signing on in 2017. Moe says his goal is to see all provinces sign on to the agreement, but he understands it won't fix all economic issues. 'It doesn't solve everything,' Moe said Thursday. 'But it's the clearest and most straightforward path towards not only free and fair trade.' However, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business isn't so sure. If the New West is so comprehensive, then what happens to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)? 'One thing we'd be wary of is sort of creating this patchwork of legislation,' Brianna Solberg, the organization's director of the prairies and northern Canada said. 'We're all for moving closer to a truly free trade within Canada. But we're just cautious of having this patchwork of different agreements that are now existing at the same time and just creating more red tape.' Solberg supports however provinces get to that end of goal of increased free trade, but she also understands exemptions and various agreements exist for a reason. Ontario eliminated all of its exemptions to CFTA recently, but she's not sure others will follow suite. With much progress made in recent months towards added free trade within Canada, memorandums of understanding and signatures only go so far. 'Provinces are being a bit protectionist,' Solberg said. 'They're trying to protect their tax base and their labor pool. 'We need to see actions that actually prove that we're serious about breaking down those barriers. ' Willoughby said recent reports from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the McDonald Laurier Institute have estimated that the impact of reducing trade barriers would be a roughly four to five per cent boost to the Canadian gross domestic product (GDP)., but it's tough to quantify because no one knows what an economy void of longstanding agreements would look like. One thing is for certain, according to Willoughby. With tariff threats and other political and economic uncertainty coming from the United States — Canada's largest trading partner — there needs to be added emphasis on international trade as well. Willoughby says interprovincial trade is like a home builder looking to replace shingles on a damaged roof, while international trade is looking to build a new house somewhere else. 'We almost need to do both of those if we're going to thrive,' Willoughby said. Data from the federal government shows interprovincial trade accounted for roughly $532 billion in 2023 -- representing a little over 18 per cent of overall GDP. Willoughby says four decades ago it accounted for about 26 per cent. 'International trade is growing, interprovincial trade is dropping,' he said. -With files from Rory MacLean and David Prisciak.
CBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Sask. Premier Scott Moe calls on premiers to join Western trade agreement
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe invited all provinces to join the New West Partnership Trade Agreement at a press conference on Thursday. This comes after recent discussions between Prime Minister Mark Carney and the premiers around strengthening interprovincial trade partnerships amid tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
