Advocacy

Following sustained advocacy by the CCBA in, the federal government announced a 2-year extension of the 50% excise rate reduction on the first 15,000 hL of beer brewed starting April 1, 2026. The annual excise increase was also capped at 2% for the same two years. This would empower a brewery producing 15,000 hL to reinvest $90,000 per year in staff, equipment and other upgrades. This was a massive win for our sector, providing much-needed cost relief and fiscal certainty.

This relief is a strong start, but it must go further. We’re calling for the permanent adoption of the 50% rate relief and expanding progressive relief for the first 500,000 hL of beer brewed. According to an independent economic impact report by MNP, doing so would stimulate economic growth and be revenue-neutral for government, making this a smart, sustainable investment in Canada’s craft beer economy.

After more than a year of uncertainty, Health Canada confirmed that the 2011 guidelines remain in effect. This was a critical clarification to counter misinformation.

Claims that there is “no safe level” of alcohol are more alarmist than accurate. The 2023 study’s own data shows that for two drinks a day, the increased cancer risk is less than one one-hundredth of a percent—hardly the basis for a public health crisis.

Craft beer is a traditional beverage of moderation, and our industry promotes responsible consumption through pricing, staff training, and how taprooms operate. We continue to call on Health Canada to clearly and consistently reassure and reaffirm health authorities and Canadians that the 2011 guidelines remain in place.

Mandatory health warnings on alcohol are unwarranted, unsubstantiated, and ineffective. There is no clear evidence that such labels change consumer behaviour, and they unfairly stigmatize products like craft beer, which is typically consumed in moderation. The current labelling requirements already provide information consumers need to make responsible choices. We are monitoring the bill closely while we continue to advocate for evidence-based policies that respect the way Canadians consume beer responsibly.

The current regulatory framework is effective. The CRTC’s Code for Broadcast Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages prohibits advertising that targets underage individuals, associates alcohol with youth culture, or portrays it in ways that would appeal to minors. We will continue to monitor this bill and advocate for a balanced, evidence-based approach that allows responsible marketing while protecting public health.

To help limit cost impacts on Canadian businesses, the Canadian government introduced several relief mechanisms:

• Surtax Remission Order (2025)
• Specific remission application framework
• Duty Relief Program
• Duty Drawback Program

To learn more about these relief measures, see: Navigating Tariffs: What Canadian Craft Brewers Need to Know.

While tariffs are wreaking havoc on U.S.–Canada trade and adding pressure to the craft brewing sector, we believe a more meaningful and impactful way for government to help is through excise reform—something entirely within federal control. Reforming excise tax rates on the first 500,000 hL brewed would provide direct and lasting relief to Canadian craft brewers.

Meanwhile, brewers are encouraged to speak with their importer or broker to make sure measures are being taken to limit exposure and minimize passing on additional costs to you. We’re also preparing to potentially request an extension of the remission order to ensure fair treatment for our industry.

The CCBA supports policies that enhance market access for Canadian craft brewers. We are closely analyzing provincial approaches to determine where real opportunities exist and will continue to advocate for consistent, fair trade rules that allow small brewers to grow their businesses and reach more Canadians coast to coast.

No, Canada’s LRDG have not changed and remain the same as they were in 2011. Broadly, the guidelines advise that women should limit alcohol to 2 standard drinks per day and 10 standard drinks per week and that men should limit alcohol to 3 standard drinks per day and 15 standard drinks per week. You can see that the LRDG have not changed by visiting the Health Canada website.

The lower limits that you may have heard about are a set of recommendations contained in a report from an advisory group that was asked to do a review of the current LRDG. The recommendations have not been accepted by Health Canada at this time.

Some countries, including Canada, issue LRDG which are designed to help citizens make informed decisions about drinking and to reduce the health risks associated with consumption.

It is important to keep in mind that these are only guidelines to help you educate yourself. Each individual will make different lifestyle choices, have different risk tolerances and have different risk factors including lifestyle, diet and genetics. Only you can determine what amount of alcohol consumption, if any, is appropriate for you.

If you need assistance with or guidance on alcohol consumption issues for yourself or anyone else, we recommend that you speak to your doctor.

Health Canada (a branch of the federal government) publishes Canada’s Low Risk Drinking Guidelines. In the past, Health Canada has used an advisory group to provide them with recommendations. This group recently provided new recommendations which are dramatically different from the previous ones. These proposed guidelines have not been accepted by Health Canada.

We support Canada’s current Low Risk Drinking Guidelines and urge Health Canada to reassure Canadians and health authorities that the current LRDG have not changed. We will continue to monitor developments related to Canada’s LRDG.

Information provided to Canadian consumers about alcohol products should be accurate, clear, and useful. While we support making information available to help consumers understand and calculate the number of “standard drinks” they consume, we do not believe alcohol product packaging or labels are the appropriate place for this information. More effective and flexible channels exist to provide this guidance.

Issues related to health and alcohol consumption are complex. The Bill proposes to over-simplify these issues in a manner which is misleading. The warnings that are proposed under the Bill fail to recognize the significantly different health effects of varying levels of consumption, fail to provide any useable indication of risk (or the lack of risk), and fail to recognize the importance of individual choice with respect to lifestyle, risk factors and risk tolerance.

Sweeping warning statements that conflate the problems of heavy consumption with those of low to moderate consumption are not useful to Canadians and will erode confidence in public health advice.  

The CCBA’s position is that Canadians should have access to accurate, clear, and useful information to help them understand alcohol consumption, including how “standard drinks” are calculated. At the same time, considerably more work is needed before Canadians can be given meaningful and practical indicators of health risk, particularly given the wide range of health effects associated with varying levels of consumption and individual risk factors. The CCBA will continue to monitor developments in this area.