Press Release: EU challenges Canadian discriminatory tax rules on wine and beer in the WTO

The European Union is to request WTO consultations with Canada on its new fiscal measures affecting wine and beer. The new Canadian measures provide excise tax relief to Canadian wine and beer, while leaving the excise tax on imported EU wine and beer intact. The new discriminatory tax regime has been applied on a provisional basis since 1 July 2006 but is still pending before the Canadian Parliament.