Bacardi Rum Returns to LCBO Shelves Following Lift of Ontario Ban on U.S. Products

Bacardi Rum Returns to LCBO Shelves Following U.S. Product Ban Controversy

Bacardi rum, labeled as bottled in Jacksonville, Florida, is once again available at the LCBO after being pulled from shelves in March. The removal came as part of the Ford government’s broader decision to stop selling U.S.-made alcohol products through Ontario’s government-run liquor retailer.

The 1.5-litre Bacardi bottles are marked as “a blend of Puerto Rican rum,” but also bear the stamp “BACARDI BOTTLING CORP, JACKSONVILLE, FL, USA.” While Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and not a state, it raised questions about how the product should be classified under the ban.

In a statement provided to 680 NewsRadio, the LCBO clarified: “LCBO requests information from the supplier on the production location. A product can be produced in one location and bottled in another. The country of origin declared for the product is where it is produced, and bottling the product in another location does not change the origin certificate. If the product is produced in the U.S., it is not available for sale at the LCBO.”

According to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), retaliatory tariffs do not apply to goods originating from U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—effectively exempting Bacardi in this case.

The return of the product drew criticism from Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles, who commented on what she sees as inconsistency in the government’s handling of the situation. “It’s consistent with this government’s lack of consistency in their approach to the tariff threat,” Stiles said.

While supporting the government’s broader move to remove U.S. alcohol from LCBO shelves as a political statement, she acknowledged the impact: “We have to send a message and there are a few ways we can do that. I do think that it ruffled feathers in the United States.”

The LCBO, which serves as Ontario’s exclusive importer and distributor of American alcohol, purchases approximately $965 million worth of alcohol annually and stocks over 3,600 U.S. products from 36 states.