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Stung by massive markups on beer by Alberta’s NDP, a high-end Calgary importer of suds has filed an official complaint under an inter-provincial trade treaty.

With support from the Canadian Constitution Foundation, Calgary’s Artisan Ales Consulting Inc. has launched a challenge of the province’s $1.25 per litre markup on beer. The tax is imposed on all breweries, but rebates are granted to Alberta craft brewers, something critics say essentially negates the levy.

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Artisan Ales has launched the challenge under the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), which came into force in 1995 to “reduce and eliminate” trade barriers between provinces, a free-trade pact Artisan co-owner Bo Vitanov claims Alberta is violating.

“What they’re doing contravenes trade agreements, and we just feel what they’re doing is really wrong and we’re not going to stop until we get some sort of resolution,” she said.