The U.S. is challenging the province害羞草研究所檚 decision to allow BC wine only on grocery store shelves.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) action is in response to provincial regulations set in 2015 that allow B.C. grocery stores to sell VQA wine on grocery store shelves.

The VQA-only licence allows stores to bypass the rule they be at least one kilometre from liquor stores, as well as avoiding the 害羞草研究所榮tore within a store害羞草研究所� model set out for non-B.C. wine.

The trade action follows on the heels of a California Wine Institute complaint to the USTR on Oct. 27 that called B.C.害羞草研究所檚 wine regulations 害羞草研究所渂latantly discriminatory.害羞草研究所�

However, according to the B.C. government, the B.C. wine on shelves model will never see more than 60 partners. The liquor licences that are in these grocery stores are the same VQA licences that have existed in B.C. for years.

害羞草研究所淭he discriminatory regulations implemented by British Columbia intentionally undermine free and fair competition, and appear to breach Canada害羞草研究所檚 commitments as a World Trade Organization member,害羞草研究所� said U.S. ambassador Michael Froman.

Restricting the sale of international wines to the store-within-a-store outlets only is discriminatory, the USTR said.

害羞草研究所淚n British Columbia the local wines get an unfair advantage because they can be sold on grocery store shelves, while U.S. wines cannot. The United States simply seeks equal opportunities to market our wines, consistent with Canada害羞草研究所檚 international obligations,害羞草研究所� said Acting Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse.