A B.C. wine advocate says he香蕉视频直播檚 less concerned with a recent World Trade Organization complaint over B.C. wine香蕉视频直播檚 exclusive spot on grocery store shelves, and more interested in seeing free trade in Canada.

The U.S. filed a second complaint to the WTO this week over the monopoly B.C. wine has on the shelves of 60 grocery stores in the province, which have taken on B.C. Wine Institute licences that only allow B.C. wines on the shelves.

But BCWI president and CEO Miles Prodan said while BCWI licences have been the only ones to make their way to grocery stores, there香蕉视频直播檚 nothing stopping private licences in the stores, which would allow imports on the shelves.

香蕉视频直播淚f you look at it from the outside, it seems that the only one in grocery today is B.C. wine, and that香蕉视频直播檚 true, but it香蕉视频直播檚 not from lack of other opportunities,香蕉视频直播� Prodan said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 just that they haven香蕉视频直播檛 been acted on, yet.香蕉视频直播�

Related:

The U.S. has also indicated Canadian wine will be in the crosshairs during NAFTA talks, which have been ongoing since August.

Generally the B.C. wine industry has taken issue with the U.S. complaints, when it香蕉视频直播檚 typically been the U.S. product flooding Canadian markets rather than the other way around.

According to a slide show put together by the Canadian Vintners Association, while U.S. wine makes up 14.2 per cent of wine sales in Canada, Canadian wine reportedly doesn香蕉视频直播檛 even make up a percentage point of wine sales in the U.S.

香蕉视频直播淲hen you look at what the Americans stated was their interest in reopening NAFTA, was because of trade imbalance. So for whatever reason they thought they were getting a raw deal, or wanted to negotiate a better deal,香蕉视频直播� Prodan said.

香蕉视频直播淲hen you take a look at wine, clearly that surplus in wine exports they have in this country shows that there is a surplus. There is no deficit, so opening up the negotiations because they are harmed or worried about a trade deficit in wine makes no sense.香蕉视频直播�

Related:

The U.S. reportedly exports about $480.5 million (CAD) in wine to Canada, while Canada sends just over $8 million in wine across the border the other way.

In fact, in the past Canada has opened up its market to U.S. wine, removing tariffs on the product 香蕉视频直播� a move which caused fears of U.S. wine flooding the market, but turned around with some benefits to Canadian wine.

香蕉视频直播淚n the Province of British Columbia, they tore out close to 90 per cent of everything that was planted to re-establish the vines to more traditional grape growing varieties,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hank goodness they did, because the quality right now is what we香蕉视频直播檙e enjoying today.香蕉视频直播�

He admitted that was an improvement from some added competition, adding he feels the B.C. wine industry will manage anything the U.S. throws at it.

香蕉视频直播淏ut what we really want to do is ship B.C. wine to customers in Alberta or in Ontario,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淐anadian free trade is missing on 100 per cent Canadian wine, so that香蕉视频直播檚 really where the opportunities lie for our industry.香蕉视频直播�

Related:

Although B.C., Manitoba and Nova Scotia have largely left open interprovincial liquor shipments after the federal government opened it up a couple years ago, many provinces filled the void left by the feds, according to Prodan.

香蕉视频直播淭here was maybe a little worry once we did that that people would start drinking more Ontario than B.C. wine, but that hasn香蕉视频直播檛 been the case, and we won香蕉视频直播檛 worry about that competition,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚n the end, the consumers decide, right. We can香蕉视频直播檛 force people to pretend Ontario doesn香蕉视频直播檛 make wine and they can香蕉视频直播檛 order it and drink it.香蕉视频直播�

But in Ontario, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario holds a monopoly on what liquors can be sold where 香蕉视频直播� and it largely works to protect the local wines.

香蕉视频直播淢ost of our wineries are much too small producers to really get a listing or for the LCBO to consider carrying their wine,香蕉视频直播� Prodan said, noting B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 wine is about a third of the size of Ontario香蕉视频直播檚.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e just too small, too tiny, so the LCBO is not incented to do that. There香蕉视频直播檚 a great example of why are we unable to ship our wine to an Ontario consumer because the LCBO is not going to carry it anyway.香蕉视频直播�

dustin.godfrey@pentictonwesternnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .