SPOKANE, Wash. – A Spokane distillery is bracing for major challenges expected to take place in the upcoming months.
Sales at Dry Fly Distillery are expected to take a hit because of upcoming retaliatory tariffs from Canada, which go into effect next week.
The local company had been scheduled to deliver 2,000 cases of whiskey to Ontario, Canada, but that order has since been canceled.
Dry Fly, which has been operating for about 11 years, expects to get hit hard by the 25 percent tariff that will be slapped on American-made whiskey.
“It makes me uncompetitive in the market,” said Don Poffenroth, the owner of Dry Fly.
Poffenroth said the only answer is to cancel some orders from Canada and elsewhere. Going forward, Poffenroth said about 10 percent of Dry Fly’s international sales are expected to come to en end.
"You have these products going on and you've invested a year and then something happens to derail the whole thing beyond your control,” Poffenroth said.
For now, Dry Fly is relying on a loyal local customer base for support. Poffenroth said it’s times like these where customer loyalty is needed and greatly appreciated.
"You take ten percent away from a small business, it's significant,” he said.