Group protests new PLCB warehousing fee, says it will raise wine and spirits prices

A coalition representing wine and spirits producers said Thursday that a fee approved recently by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) will lead to higher prices at state stores, restaurants, bars, taverns and grocery stores across the Commonwealth.

The PLCB responded by arguing that what is called a bailment warehousing fee comes after it has paid to store products from the suppliers of its highest volume products for more than a decade, and added that it “has no plans to raise prices for consumers or licensees on the products it currently sells because of imposing this $1 per case fee on bailment suppliers,” unless they request a price increase.

The group sending out the press release on Thursday included the Pennsylvania Wine and Spirits Association (PWSA), Distilled Spirit