WASHINGTON — After five and a half years of work on the part of WineAmerica and our partners, yesterday [Dec. 27, 2020] evening the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA) was made permanent. Last night the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The 5,593-page bill fully funds the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2021, provides targeted COVID-19 economic relief, and contains many other provisions, such as the CBMTRA permanency language
After both the House and Senate passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 with overwhelming bipartisan and veto proof majorities, it was unclear whether or not the President would sign the bill into law. Late last Tuesday night he posted a video to his social media accounts referring to the bill as a “disgrace” and requesting the $600 individual payments be increased to $2,000 per person. He also incorrectly conflated the appropriations portions of the bill with the COVID-19 relief. While it was never explicitly stated that the President would veto or not sign the bill, it set up almost a week of uncertainty and increased the specter of a federal government shutdown. In the end, the President relented and signed the bill.
WineAmerica will have much more on the permanence of the CBMTRA and what it means for the wine industry in the new year. Basically, all American wineries will continue saving money for years to come.
TTB Authorizes Three New Standards of Fill for Wine Containers
Tomorrow [Dec. 29, 2020] the TTB will publish a new rule that adds three new standards of fill for wine. The TTB will now allow the container sizes of 355, 250 and 200 ml for individual sale.
Last summer the TTB published Notice Number 182, which would have totally eliminated standards of fill for wine containers. WineAmerica submitted comments that opposed the elimination of all standards of fill, but supported the addition of TTB adding in new sizes and advocated for a streamlined review process for new container sizes.
In the end the TTB decided to maintain standards of fill for wine, but they added in the new sizes. Additionally, the process for adopting new standards of fill will be the same. Effective tomorrow the allowable standards of fill for wine will be:
- 3 liters
- 1.5 liters
- 1 liter
- 750 milliliters
- 500 milliliters
- 375 milliliters
- 355 milliliters
- 250 milliliters
- 200 milliliters
- 187 milliliters
- 100 milliliters
- 50 milliliters
Wine may be bottled or packed in containers of 4 liters or larger if the containers are filled and labeled in quantities of even liters.
Contact: Michael Kaiser, Vice President of Government Affairs at mkaiser@wineamerica.org or 202-223-5172.
–WineAmerica
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