[BND] Kane's Beverage News Daily

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, August 18, 2026.

We begin this morning with good news – maybe – from President Trump. Why the maybe? Canadian Prime Minister Carney isn't talking as if a deal is near, and Trump has announced several other "deals" in recent weeks that have fallen apart. Then we take a look at the impact of Trump's tariffs on imported wine, and note that Jon Moramarco of bw166 says the industry needs to stop trying to steal (my word, not his) from other segments, but focus on convincing the public to expand the occasions where they consume alcoholic beverages.

Trump Pauses 50% Tariffs Against Canada, Says Deal Is Near

President Trump said he "paused the 50% Tariffs against Canada, that were scheduled to kick in tomorrow morning for a three-day period, based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of documents," have a DEAL! The great Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!" The announcement was posted on Truth Social. Chris Swonger, president, Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., said in a statement: "We appreciate President Tru

Imported Wine Volume, Value Plunges in 1st Half

You can't assign 100% blame (or credit, depending on your viewpoint) to President Trump's tariffs, but in the first six months, the U.S. imported 536.8 million liters of wine worth Euro 243 billion euros (about $281.25 billion) – a stunning 16.8% slide in volume and a 25.2% plunge in value. The average import price per liter also fell 10.1%. The value of French shipments fell 25% as did Italian shipments. together, they represented 70% of the declared value of total wine shipments to the U.S. S

Beverage Alcohol – Are Gen Z or Baby Boomers the Problem?

Jon Moramarco, who runs the superb analytical shop bw166, has come out with a new edition of his newsletter exploring the above topic. Frankly, it's worth a read by every member of the beverage alcohol industry.

His bottom line conclusions are that the problem isn't that the percent of Americans who are not drinking has risen – it has stayed about the same once people reach legal drinking age – bur rather that people are drinking less often, and when they do drink, they drink less.

SGWS NY Teamsters Win 30% Wage Boost in 5-Year Contract

Teamsters Union members at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits operations across New York ratified a five-year agreement that includes 30% wage increases, a 20% increase in employer contributions to the Teamsters Pension Fund, and additional paid time off. The workers also retained their 100 percent employer-paid Teamsters health care and gained AI and automation protections.

SGWS to Rep Yoshi Matcha Liqueur Nationally

YOSHI Matcha Liqueur, the first matcha liqueur, announced a national distribution agreement with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Building on YOSHI Matcha Liqueur's existing distribution network, this agreement expands the brand’s reach across Southern Glazer’s 47 U.S. markets, accelerating its national expansion and introducing its category-defining spirit to consumers nationwide. Launching nationwide Sept. 1, the rollout reflects growing demand for innovative, culturally relevant brands tha

New Patron Campaign: What's in Your Tequila

PATRÓN Tequila, the world's number one super-premium tequila, unveiled a bold new campaign inviting drinkers to ask a simple question: what's actually in your tequila? For PATRÓN, the answer has always been the same: 100% Weber Blue Agave, water, and yeast. No secret ingredients. Currently, the tequila industry permits the use of additives up to 1% of the weight of the product in the formulation of 100% Weber Blue Agave aged tequilas, without requiring disclosure on bottle labels or in communi

What We're Reading

The Great Modern Train Robbery: Thieves Steal $200 Million a Year Railroads are fighting back with new tech, more help from the Feds and a bill in Congress to crack down. (Bloomberg) How cyclospora evaded the US food safety system to sicken thousands The Trump administration delayed a rule last year that could have sped up the effort to pinpoint the source of the contamination. Critics charge that food safety oversight has eroded overall. (New York Times/The Press Democrat) ‘You’re always

Who & What --

Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. – Joel