P.E.I. brewers expect limited benefit from eased alcohol trade rules

Brewers and cider makers in Prince Edward Island say recent changes to interprovincial alcohol sales rules are a positive step, but they do not expect a major boost to their businesses right away. Nine provinces agreed this week to reduce barriers that had limited direct sales of beer, wine and spirits across provincial borders. The move came as Canadian leaders look for ways to strengthen domestic trade amid renewed tariff threats from the United States. Small producers in P.E.I. said the biggest gains are more likely to go to larger companies with the scale to handle shipping, packaging and marketing across provinces. For smaller operations, high delivery costs and the challenge of reaching new customers remain major obstacles. Some business owners said a bigger help would be the ability to sell directly to restaurants and bars at home, which they say could improve margins by cutting out the provincial liquor commission as a middleman.