PREMIERS SIGN FINAL AGREEMENT TOWARDS CANADA-WIDE DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ALCOHOL SALES

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, July 21, 2026 /CNW/ -- Premiers are fostering a more open and integrated economy by removing a major trade barrier within Canada. Today premiers of nine provinces – Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador – signed a landmark agreement to implement Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sales of alcoholic beverages between their jurisdictions. This agreement builds on the commitment in the June 2025 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on DTC Sales of Alcoholic Beverages.

As of today, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador are implementing their approaches to DTC sales, allowing individual Canadians to order their favourite wine, spirit, beer, or other alcoholic beverages directly from licensed producers across the country¹.  British Columbia is committing to have their system in place to implement DTC for all types of alcohol in February 2027. This is a major expansion of consumer choice and increases producer access into new Canadian markets.  

Other signatories to the 2025 MOU on DTC Sales of Alcoholic Beverages – Quebec and Yukon – have worked hand-in-hand with today's signatories to develop the terms of the agreement and are in the process of establishing the necessary infrastructure to implement DTC in their jurisdictions, with the aim of signing on to the Agreement in the near future.  The Yukon will be taking steps to implement DTC and is working closely with Yukon's dry communities to ensure their preferences are reflected. 

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¹ Manitoba and New Brunswick allowed DTC sales on all alcohol products prior to this agreement. Nova Scotia and British Columbia also allowed DTC for Canadian wine, with British Columbia continuing to allow these DTC wine sales from all provinces and territories. Ontario and Nova Scotia further signed a bilateral DTC operating agreement in March 2026, and Alberta and British Columbia also have an agreement on DTC sale of wine.

With today's announcement, participating jurisdictions are following through on a key commitment made by First Ministers at their meeting on January 29, 2026, to support the reduction of barriers to internal trade for alcoholic beverages.

Provinces and territories remain committed to working with each other and the federal government to maintain momentum in removing barriers to build a more resilient and streamlined economy and to unlock Canada's full economic potential.

LINK TO OPERATING AGREEMENT

SOURCE Internal Trade Secretariat

Media Contacts: British Columbia: Erin Burchett, Office of the Premier, [email protected]; New Brunswick: Katie Beers, Office of the Premier, [email protected]; Alberta: Sam Blackett, Press Secretary to the Premier, [email protected]; Nova Scotia: Catherine Klimek, Office of the Premier, [email protected]; Saskatchewan: Sandra Masters, Executive Council and Office of the Premier, [email protected]; Prince Edward Island: Emily Blue, Office of the Premier, [email protected]; Manitoba: Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey, Cabinet Communications, [email protected]; Newfoundland and Labrador: Ashley Jackson-Politi, Office of the Premier, [email protected]; Ontario: Hannah Jensen, Premier's Office, [email protected]; Sarah Chapin, Minister Bethlenfalvy's Office, [email protected]; Scott Blodgett, Communications Branch, [email protected]