Bring up free trade nowadays, and people normally assume you're talking about "global" trade, meaning across national borders. But once upon a time protectionism was just as likely to apply to interstate commerce within the U.S. And as of 2004, there is still at least one class of widely-consumed product that doesn't move freely across state lines. I'm talking, of course, about alcohol.
That could change, however, depending on how the Supreme Court rules in a case that will determine whether consumers should be allowed to order wine directly from out-of-state wineries. If they can, then it might follow by logical extension that retailers should be able to do so too--bypassing the wholesale distributors who up to now have held most of the cards. Needless to say, the wholesale liquor industry will be paying careful attention.
I'm not an expert on this stuff, but it seems to me that while distributors should be allowed to distribute, producers should be allowed to sell their product as they see fit (provided customers are of legal age). And whatever you think about free trade on a global scale, it's hard to argue against it right here in the good ole' U.S.A.
Comments