Nine premiers agree to ease alcohol trade barriers

Nine provincial premiers have agreed to remove major barriers that limited direct interprovincial sales of alcohol, according to an announcement made Tuesday in Charlottetown. The new rules will allow brewers and distillers to sell beer, wine and spirits directly to consumers in other provinces, replacing a patchwork of provincial agreements that had restricted those sales or blocked them altogether. New Brunswick and Manitoba had already changed their rules before the announcement. Quebec, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut did not sign on, although Quebec and Yukon were said to be working toward joining later. British Columbia said it plans to put the needed regulations in place by next February. The move follows a broader push to reduce internal trade barriers and comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced steep tariffs on Canadian alcohol products. Industry groups welcomed the decision, saying it could expand markets and improve access for producers and consumers across Canada.