USDA Alerts Exporters About Increase in Australian Alcohol Duties

Australian excise duties on alcoholic drinks were set to increase Feb. 1, leading to higher prices for imported U.S. distilled spirit products at retail stores and bars, USDA said in a report last week. The agency said Australia makes changes to its alcohol excise duty rates twice a year based on the “upward trajectory” of the Consumer Price Index. USDA said the Australian distilling industry is calling for an “immediate two-year freeze” on any hikes and a “broader review of spirits excise settings to create the conditions for greater investment in the industry.”