Sask. walks back ban on American-branded beer made in Canada
Saskatchewan Reverses Decision on American-Branded Alcohol Products
After facing backlash from industry leaders, Saskatchewan has decided to reverse its decision to stop selling or distributing American-branded alcohol products made in Canada. The initial move came in response to U.S. tariffs, with the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) notifying retailers, distributors, and producers that American-branded products would no longer be available in the province.
The SLGA had originally identified 54 American alcohol brands, including popular names like Bud Light, Blue Moon, and Busch. However, industry experts like Jim Bence, president and CEO of Hospitality Saskatchewan, pointed out that many of these American beer brands are actually brewed in Canada despite their American branding.
Labatt Breweries of Canada, for example, employs thousands of Canadians and brews brands like Bud Light, Busch, and Budweiser within the country. Beer Canada also joined the outcry, calling on the province to reconsider its decision.
In response to the feedback, the government of Saskatchewan reversed course on Monday, aligning its stance with other provinces and refocusing its efforts on alcohol produced in the U.S. Minister Alana Ross, responsible for SLGA, acknowledged the importance of stakeholder input in the decision-making process.
“We weren’t really in line with what the other provinces were doing, so we took it back,” Ross stated. The province confirmed that the sale and distribution of the 54 Canadian-produced American brands will resume, much to the relief of industry representatives like Bence.
Bence commended the government for listening to feedback and being willing to reconsider their initial decision. “We applaud their ability to be able to [reverse the decision] and their willingness to look at information and roll back some of the pieces that they had implemented last week,” he said.
As the province moves forward with a renewed focus on American-made beers, CBC has requested a list of the specific brands that will now be prioritized in Saskatchewan.
