Ontario will remove all American alcohol from its government-run liquor shelves starting Tuesday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canadian imports.
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) will also eliminate U.S. products from its catalog, preventing other retailers from ordering or restocking those items, according to a statement from Premier Doug Ford.
“Every year, the LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of American wine, beer, spirits, and seltzers. Not anymore,” Ford stated. “There’s never been a better time to choose an amazing Ontario-made or Canadian-made product.” This announcement followed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's imposition of retaliatory tariffs of 25% on $155 billion worth of U.S. goods.
The LCBO is one of the largest alcohol wholesalers, selling over 1.1 billion liters of alcohol products in Ontario in 2023. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Canada primarily imports hard liquor from the U.S., with an estimated $320 million in sales. As of October 2024, Canada is the second main export destination for U.S. liquor, with a trade value of $25.9 million, according to the OEC.
In a statement provided to CNBC, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) announced that it will cease all sales of U.S. alcohol products online and in stores “indefinitely.” The LCBO emphasized that it is the “importer of record” for all American alcohol in Ontario and currently lists over 3,600 products from 35 U.S. states.
This decision aligns with similar actions taken by other Canadian provinces in response to the tariffs. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has directed the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation to remove all American alcohol from its shelves, effective Tuesday. Meanwhile, British Columbia Premier David Eby has instructed the BC Liquor Distribution Branch to “immediately stop buying American liquor from ‘red states’” and to remove the top-selling “red-state” brands from its inventory.
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