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American wines, beers and spirits disappear from Canadian stores

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to “choose Canada” in response to the 25% tariffs.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to “choose Canada” in response to the 25% tariffs.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has urged the public need to “check labels and choose Canada whenever possible” when shopping, in response to the 25% tariffs on imported goods from Canada and Mexico announced by US President Donald Trump.

Now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada. Check the labels. Let’s do our part. Whenever we can, choose Canada,” Trudeau posted in a message on his X account.

Trump’s import tax war

Trudeau’s remarks come in response to the escalating tariff war initiated by Trump, who has imposed tariffs on the United States' three main trading partners: Canada, Mexico and China.

Both Canada and Mexico have already announced reciprocal measures to tax American products in retaliation for Trump’s decision, which will take effect from Tuesday.

The early effects of the burgeoning trade war are already becoming visible: American wines, beers and spirits are disappearing from shelves in Canadian stores.

On Sunday, Ontario, the country’s most industrialized and populous province, announced measures that will in force from tomorrow. In a statement, the Ontario government said it has “directed the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) to remove all US alcohol products in store and online and stop all purchase of all US products, and cease wholesale sales of these products to restaurants, bars, grocery, and other retailers, in response to the implementation of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods".

The move is significant: LCBO, one of the world’s largest individual buyers of alcoholic products, sells American alcoholic beverages worth 1 billion Canadian dollars (approximately $680 million) annually.

BC targets “red state”-produced beverages

British Columbia meanwhile has taken a similar, though slightly more nuanced, approach: the provincial monopoly will stop selling beverages produced in the so-called “US red states” - those under the control of Trump’s Republican Party. For example Jack Daniels whiskey, Bacardi rum, Titos Vodka, Jim Beam and Bulleit bourbon.

This decision is being echoed across the country: Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador have also ordered their liquor stores to remove American products from store which are now adorned with signs reading “Buy Canadian Instead”.

These provincial measures against American alcohol are separate from the 25% tariffs that the Canadian federal government will begin applying to certain US imports starting Tuesday.

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