Rumpundit

Amendment favors Puerto Rico in fight over rum excise tax
By Jay Heflin – 03/08/10 07:19 PM ET
A lobbying fight over Caribbean rum subsidies could come to a head this week if Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.) offers an amendment to jobs legislation that benefits Puerto Rico and rum producers like Bacardi at the expense of the [...]

Black Chamber urges Congress to stay out of battle over rum tax
By Kevin Bogardus – 02/17/10 05:13 PM ET
The National Black Chamber of Commerce is urging Congress not to interfere with a battle over a Caribbean rum distillery.
In a Feb. 16 letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Black Chamber — along [...]

So somebody else is reading Rumpundit..we’ve been warning about WTO consequences from the beginning. Get in their Caricom.. get the same excise rebate deal!
Rumpundit.
Captain Morgan Subsidies May Trigger W.T.O. Complaint
Distiller Serralles Warns Obama that USVI Subsidies Exceed Production Costs
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Puerto Rican Coalition today cautioned President Obama that a [...]

This is actually more about the political system in Washington than rum. Interesting headline – would the deal have been acceptable if this were a domestic rum company?
Rumpundit
Lobbyists Help Smooth the Way for a Tax Break for Foreign Rum Maker
by Marcus Stern, ProPublica – February 3, 2010
Feb. 3: This post has been corrected [1].
A [...]

So, if you add Indian “whiskey” production to their rum-making, which under EU and US law you could, it must easily confirm India’s position as the world’s number one rum producer. I offer my own marketing solution..Indian makers of molasses based “whiskey” should sell it as “Risky” and enhance the sense of adventure..
Rum Pundit.
In high [...]

PREMIUM SPIRITS
HIT THE CHRISTMAS HIGH SPOT
A review of festive trading released today by premium spirits company J Wray
& Nephew UK reveals that Christmas stocking and throughput was substantially
above the levels that were earlier thought likely in the trade.
General Manager Diane Edwards reports that sales in December were very
exciting, with the trade reporting excellent customer throughput. [...]

Here is a dispassionate and accurate summary of the great Cap’n Morgan hijack. Rumpundit has consistently suggested other Caribbean islands should get dibs on this cash, and in these times of stress, it’s worth pointing out that $13-50 a gallon excise duty on spirits is minimal compared with other countries’ duties – almost as [...]

Big boys give liquor man a rum deal in the cities
* Tony Barrass
* From: The Australian
* December 29, 2009 12:00AM
RAYMOND Bernard Dessert III, better known around the east Kimberley town of Kununurra as Spike Dessert, doesn’t want to sound paranoid, but he’s certain [...]

The USVI deal to build Cap’n Morgan a new haven is meeting increasing heat, and has moved on from the silliness of tying to Obama bashing and stimulus packages. I still think Caricom should be banging on the doors in Washington and at the WTO demanding rebate on US excise duties..but I have to admit [...]

A safe harbour for N.S. rum
Lunenburg distiller to make traditional and new libations
By CHRIS LAMBIE Business Editor
Fri. Dec 11 – 4:46 AM
A Lunenburg couple opening the South Shore’s first distillery this spring had not planned, at first, to make rum.
But in a town built on the trade of salt fish for what is arguably one [...]