By Alice McFarlane

Groups call for a freeze on beer taxes

Sep 30, 2020 | 4:46 PM

A new campaign is calling on governments across Canada to freeze tax increases on beer.

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

Beer Canada, along with the support of its partners said more tax increases would hurt industries already hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Interim President Luke Chapman said 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.

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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.

About 23,000 Canadian barley farmers sell 300,000 tonnes of malting barley directly to Canadian brewers while 87 per cent of the beer consumed in Canada is made here.

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

The industry is supported by 10 million beer drinkers across the country.

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

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF