‘They’re taking our product off their shelves’: Vermont distillery loses business in Canada
The president of Caledonia Spirits recently announced that an order was on track for shipment to Quebec
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MONTPELIER, Vermont (WPTZ) — Leaders in Vermont have started communicating directly with premiers in Canada as consumers and business owners on both sides of the border manage the impact of an ongoing trade war.
Recently, Vermont liquor producers have had business disruptions.
The president of Caledonia Spirits recently shared that an order from Quebec, which the company had waited four months to ship, was abruptly canceled after President Donald Trump announced tariffs in early February.
Caledonia Spirits, which makes Barr Hill Gin, said that the company is faced with a unique financial challenge. The company makes French labels and goes through specific lab work to meet regulations set in Canada and Quebec.
At Gov. Phil Scott’s weekly press conference on Wednesday, Vermont’s Secretary of Commerce, Lindsay Kurrle, said that it can be extremely difficult to find another market for those bottles.
“Vermont producers who have prepared alcohol to be sold in Canada are left with this alcohol that can’t just be sold here,” Kurrle said. “It’s not an easy fix. It costs money. It takes investments.”
Kurrle said she has been in contact with the consul general for Canada in Boston to find a solution for the state.
“Our goal is to try to find out what does Premier LeGault need to see from us to try to get Vermont products back on the shelves,” Kurrle said.
Scott also said he has been in direct contact with Canadian Premiers from Nova Scotia and Ontario. He said it’s an emotional situation on both sides of the border.
“It’s creating this divide, and they’re taking your product off their shelves because they don’t want it there anymore,” Scott said. “It’s unfortunate. These are our friends.”
Scott has repeatedly said that Vermont and other states should not be in “a constant state of chaos” over the next four years.
He did establish an interagency task force last month, led by Kurrle, to monitor the impact of tariffs in Vermont.
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