Which Canadian Provinces Are Removing U.S. Alcohol Over Trump’s Tariffs?

Canadian Provinces Pull U.S. Alcohol Off Shelves in Response to Trump’s Tariffs

As Canada retaliates against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs with countermeasures worth $155 billion, American liquor and wine are among the first casualties.

Hours after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada’s response—set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Feb. 4—provincial premiers swiftly introduced their own measures, targeting American alcohol. Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba have announced plans to remove most, if not all, U.S.-made liquor from shelves.

Provincial Liquor Board Responses

Ontario: LCBO

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has directed the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) to pull U.S. alcohol products, effective Tuesday.

“Every year, the LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of American wine, beer, spirits, and seltzers. Not anymore,” Ford stated.

Starting Feb. 4, the LCBO will:

• Remove all U.S. alcohol products from store shelves and online sales.
• Halt wholesale distribution to Ontario restaurants, bars, and retailers.

An LCBO spokesperson confirmed the indefinite suspension of U.S. alcohol sales, with full implementation expected by Feb. 2, 2025.

British Columbia: BCLDB

B.C. Premier David Eby has instructed the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB) to stop purchasing American liquor from Republican-led states and remove top-selling U.S. brands from public liquor stores.

Effective immediately, the BCLDB will:

• Halt orders for U.S. liquor produced in Republican-led states.
• Remove top-selling American brands—Jack Daniels, Bacardi Rum, Tito’s Vodka, Jim Beam, and Bulleit Bourbon—from store shelves.
• Allow existing stock of other U.S. liquor (from non-Republican states) to be sold until depleted.

Manitoba: MBLL

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has ordered Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MBLL) to stop selling American alcohol.

“Trump’s tariff tax is an attack on Canadians,” Kinew said. “We stand with the federal government and encourage Manitobans to support local breweries and distilleries instead.”

Beginning Feb. 4, MBLL will:

• Pull all American alcohol from liquor stores.
• Cease ordering U.S. products.

Quebec: SAQ

The Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) has not announced retaliatory measures against U.S. alcohol. A spokesperson stated that no directive has been issued by the Quebec government at this time.

However, Premier François Legault has indicated that certain U.S. imports will face a 25% tariff, though specifics remain unclear.

Nova Scotia: NSLC

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston confirmed that the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) will remove all U.S. alcohol products from store shelves starting Feb. 4, 2025.

In a statement, the NSLC said, “Following the province’s announcement, we will stop selling all products imported directly from the United States.”