EU brewers want ‘unfair’ beer tax removed through TTIP (free trade agreement w/US)

EurActiv ^ | 09 December 2013

[Olog-hai]

European brewers last week (4 December) urged EU negotiators to put a removal of taxes on European brewers, from which their American competitors are exempt, on the table in the free-trade negotiations with the US.

In the EU, small brewers have a reduced excise tax rate. This tax rate also applies to small US brewers importing to the EU, whereas the equivalent small brewer tax relief in the US only applies to domestically-produced beer.

This puts EU brewers exporting to the US at an important disadvantage, Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said at a conference in Brussels. …