TIABC Voice of Tourism Newsletter – January 23, 2026

In 1981, I visited my high school buddy whose family had moved to Paris. He asked me to bring an extra suitcase full of Kraft peanut butter, macaroni & cheese, Aero chocolate bars, and Marlboro cigarettes, which were either too expensive or not available in France at the time.

Back then heavy duties were placed on North American smokes so I was nervous upon arrival that customs agents would search my luggage and either seize the stash or fine me. Thankfully neither happened and my pal indulged himself for weeks.

On the occasion of his birthday this week, we reminisced about the stupid things we did as teenagers including smuggling cigarettes into France to avoid duties. Eventually we got around to talking about the global economic climate and the chaos President Trump is causing by placing sizeable tariffs on imports from multiple countries including Canada and France.

Provided no international laws or trade agreements are broken, POTUS is entitled to do what he wants. At the same time it leaves countries like ours scrambling to either renegotiate a new deal with America or source alternative markets. The federal government has been aggressively advancing both options while a third avenue is progressing nicely, albeit far too slowly in the case of the wine sector.

By way of background, Canada’s long-standing inter-provincial trade barriers (IPTB) make it extremely difficult for provinces and territories to sell certain goods or services within each other’s jurisdictions. And while eliminating them is not the panacea for solving our economic challenges, it would certainly help businesses secure new markets right here at home.

From what I understand, IPTBs are less about taxes or levies, but more about regulatory differences, licensing and certification of certain professions, administrative hurdles, buy-local policies, and finally restrictions on selling goods such as wine, the latter of which is a major issue for members of Wine Growers BC (WGBC).

For years, WGBC has been lobbying to lift the constraints placed on BC wineries vis-a-vis shipping directly to consumers in other provinces without being subject to crippling taxes or levies.

As you may know, alcohol is regulated provincially under the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act with each province controlling distribution and retail within its border. However, the Canadian wine sector has been advocating for a coordinated national solution that allows wineries to ship directly to consumers (DTC) under a modern, digital-first framework aligned with Canada’s Free Trade Agreement.

So far the provinces have done their part by signing a memorandum of understanding to remove legal and regulatory barriers and establish a national framework with the goal to operationalize it by May. The system includes provisions for licensing and registration, tax reporting and remittance, as well as age verification and delivery compliance.

However, more work needs to be done in provinces like British Columbia to eliminate impediments such as the obligation to facilitate shipments through the Liquor Distribution Branch with its supplementary markups and taxes to subsidize services that aren’t provided or necessary. The current system disproportionately harms small and medium-sized wineries which make up the bulk of vintners in the province.

For the struggling BC wine sector, jettisoning inter-provincial trade barriers in favour of a new model is paramount for generating profits, keeping people employed and wineries open, earning brand loyalty, and contributing to BC’s visitor economy. TIABC will look to support Wine Growers BC when it launches its advocacy campaign to advance the necessary changes within the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned.

My buddy still loves mac and cheese and peanut butter so if I have room in my suitcase, I bring him as much as I can carry without drawing the ire of French customs agents who still scare the #%*@ out of me dating all the way back to when I stupidly smuggled two cartons of Marlboro cigarettes into Paris as a naïve teenager.

Walt Judas,

CEO, TIABC