Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced during a campaign event at Walker Construction in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on January 31, 2025, that the province will cease all sales of American alcohol from government-operated liquor stores starting Tuesday. This decision comes as a direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s implementation of a 25% tariff on Canadian imports.
According to a statement released by Ford, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) will not only pull U.S. products from its shelves but will also remove them from its catalog to prevent other retailers from ordering or restocking these items. Ford emphasized the importance of supporting local products, stating, “Every year, LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of American wine, beer, spirits, and seltzers. Not anymore. There’s never been a better time to choose an amazing Ontario-made or Canadian-made product.”
This announcement aligns with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent decision to impose retaliatory tariffs of 25% on $155 billion worth of U.S. goods. The LCBO is one of Ontario’s largest alcohol wholesalers, distributing over 1.1 billion liters of alcohol in 2023. Data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity indicates that Canada primarily imports hard liquor from the U.S., with approximately $320 million in sales. As of October 2024, Canada was the second largest export destination for U.S. liquor, valued at $25.9 million.
The LCBO confirmed that it will halt all sales of American alcohol products both online and in physical stores indefinitely, noting that it serves as the “importer of record” for all U.S. alcohol in Ontario. The LCBO currently offers over 3,600 products from 35 different U.S. states.
Other Canadian provinces are following suit in retaliation to the tariffs. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has instructed the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation to eliminate all American alcohol from their inventory, while British Columbia Premier David Eby has directed the BC Liquor Distribution Branch to stop purchasing American liquor from “red states” and to remove popular “red-state” brands from store shelves.
