Provinces respond to Trump tariffs by pulling U.S. liquor from shelves
Ont., B.C., N.L. , Que., N.S., P.E.I. and Man. announce measure in retaliation to levies
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has ordered the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) to strip its shelves of American products in response to the U.S. imposing 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian imports starting Tuesday.
"Every year, LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of American wine, beer, spirits and seltzers. Not anymore," Ford said in a statement Sunday morning.
He said American liquor will be removed from LCBO shelves "starting Tuesday."
The premier said the LCBO, as the only wholesaler of alcohol in the province, will also remove American products from its catalogue so that Ontario-based restaurants and retailers can't order or restock U.S. products.
"There's never been a better time to choose an amazing Ontario-made or Canadian-made product," Ford said Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on most goods from Canada and a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy products on Saturday.
In a statement on Sunday, the LCBO said it has been directed by the Ontario government to stop "indefinitely" all sales of U.S. alcohol products in its stores and online and to stop wholesale sales of U.S. products to restaurants, bars, grocery and other retailers, no later than Tuesday.
The LCBO said the measure is "part of Ontario's response strategy to the imposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods."
The LCBO said it is the "importer of record" for all U.S. alcohol products into the province, with annual sales of up to $965 million. It lists more than 3,600 products from 35 U.S. states.
B.C., N.L., Quebec, N.S. to remove U.S. liquor
Other provinces are also taking action.
Government-run liquor stores in B.C. have begun pulling "red-state" U.S.-made alcohol brands from store shelves as part of the province's initial response to new American tariffs on Canadian goods.
By Sunday afternoon, shelves carrying whisky brands like Jack Daniel's were left empty with signs reading "Buy Canadian Instead" at the B.C. Liquor Stores' Cambie location in Vancouver.
The move follows a directive from B.C. Premier David Eby, who announced Saturday that the province's liquor distribution branch will stop purchasing alcohol from U.S. states led by Republican governors.
Eby also directed the B.C. government and Crown corporations on Saturday to buy Canadian goods and services over American ones.
"The Americans are bigger, but if we don't stand up for ourselves, they will just keep coming back for more," he said.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said on Saturday that his government would direct the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. to remove all U.S. alcohol from store shelves effective Tuesday. That totals more than 400 products, including beer, wine, spirits and coolers.
Business deals with the U.S. will also be curtailed.
"We will look for opportunities to cancel existing contracts and will maintain the option to reject bids outright because of President Trump's unlawful tariffs," Houston said.
On Sunday, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said in a statement that U.S. products will be pulled from liquor stores across the province by Tuesday.
"I ask people here and around the world to buy responsibly, and support us in standing up to the American bully next door," Furey said.
Later on Sunday, the Quebec government announced that it will ask the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) to remove all American products from its shelves by Tuesday. The request applies to all alcoholic beverages sold in stores and online.
The government will also direct SAQ to stop supplying American alcoholic beverages to grocery stores, agencies, bars and restaurants.
The changes may take a few days to be implemented, the government added.
"We will protect our economy, our businesses and our citizens," Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard said in French.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew announced Sunday that Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corp. will stop selling products imported from the United States.
"This is a trade dispute, this is an economic threat, but we should also be very clear-eyed about the threat this poses to our sovereignty as an independent country," the premier told reporters.
P.E.I. will removed all American products from the shelves of the Liquor Control Commission, the province's sole wholesaler.
Debbie Zimmerman, CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario, which represents more than 500 grape growers, said Sunday that the Ontario wine industry will likely benefit from the Ontario, B.C., Newfoundland, Quebec and N.S. ban on U.S. liquor.
Once American wine is cleared from store shelves, consumers may consider locally produced red and white wines, she said.
"There's a silver lining for us in this situation with the tariffs that are coming," she said. "It's really for us about trying to get more consumers to try that bottle of wine."
Zimmerman said the ban will put more emphasis on locally grown and produced goods. Ontario consumers may not know that provincial grape growers farm 18,000 acres of vineyards, she said.
"This gives people more of an opportunity to get out there and try some of the best things that we grow," she said. "Given this situation, we're going to have to band together and make it work."
Ban on U.S. liquor 'overreaction,' Quebec prof says
Not all are in favour of the ban, however.
"It's an overreaction," Moshe Lander, an economics professor from Concordia University, said on Sunday. "I don't like the idea."
Lander said stripping American liquor from store shelves doesn't leave consumers with choice. He said Ford could have simply encouraged Ontarians to buy Canadian produced wine.
"Why are we compounding a problem by removing the free will of people to choose what they do and don't like?"
Lander said most of the wine on Canadian store shelves comes from California, Oregon and Washington state, three U.S. states with Democratic governors and two Democratic senators. He said the ban punishes the political party that opposes Trump's tariffs.
"Don't go upset the few friends that we do have in the U.S. that would side with us and say 'Please don't go do this.'"
Ford pledges to do 'whatever it takes'
On Saturday, Ford, who is running for re-election, pledged to spend billions to protect Ontario workers and businesses from the unprecedented economic threat.
"I'm prepared to do whatever is necessary, whatever it takes," he said at a campaign event in Brampton, where he fed a sign with the word "tariffs" on it into a crushing machine.
In a speech to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association on Jan. 20, Ford made it clear that he would remove American products from LCBO outlets to retaliate provincially against a wider trade war.
"I've sent a direction to the LCBO, that if these tariffs come, to clear off every bit of U.S. alcohol off the shelves," Ford said in his speech.
Other party leaders say they would protect Ontarians
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the party is working on an income protection plan to help people whose jobs are at risk due to the tariffs, as well as job creation opportunities.
"We have to be ready to care for people when the storm hits," Stiles said Saturday during an interview with CBC Radio's Fresh Air.
Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said Saturday her party's plan to handle the fallout from the tariffs will include initiatives to increase Canada-U.S. border security — something Trump has used as one reason for imposing tariffs — while diversifying Ontario's economy.
In a statement, the Green Party says it would establish a Buy Ontario strategy and a dedicated fund for businesses hardest hit by tariffs, while working with other provinces to remove interprovincial trade barriers.
"In the face of these tariffs, we need a team Ontario approach that puts people before partisan politics to protect Ontario jobs, workers and companies," Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said.
With files from Jane Gerster, Samantha Beattie, Muriel Draaisma, Sarah Petz