Ontario to Remove All American Alcoholic Beverages from Shelves in Response to US Tariffs
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Sunday that the province will be removing all American-made alcohol products from its government-run liquor shelves, effective Tuesday. This move comes in response to US President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canadian imports. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) will also remove American products from its catalog, preventing other retailers from ordering or restocking those items.
The LCBO is one of the largest wholesalers of alcohol in Ontario, selling over 1.1 billion liters of products in 2023. The province primarily imports hard liquor from the US, with estimated sales of $320 million. The US is also Canada’s second-largest export destination for liquor, with a trade value of $25.9 million as of October 2024.
The LCBO will stop all sales of US-made alcohol products online and in stores “indefinitely,” citing its role as the “importer of record” for all American alcohol into Ontario. The province currently lists over 3,600 products from 35 US states.
This move follows similar announcements from other Canadian premiers, including Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and British Columbia Premier David Eby, who have also directed their respective liquor corporations to remove American products from their shelves.