US alcohol is being pulled from Canadian shelves as provinces of the Great White North respond to tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on their country over the weekend, Report informs via UPI.
Trump made good on his promise to impose 25% tariffs on imported goods and 10% tariffs on imported energy sources on Canada on February 1 over the alleged inflow of drugs, specifically fentanyl, into the United States via their shared border.
At $776 billion a year, Canada is the United States’ largest trading partner, second only to Mexico, which Trump also hit with similar tariffs. However, only some 50 pounds of fentanyl was seized at the US northern border last year, compared to more than 18,000 pounds at the southern border, according to US statistics.
In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday announced retaliatory 25% trade tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods.
On top of that, provinces have been taking action, with Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador stopping the sale of US alcohol within their borders, among other moves.
The government of Ontario, Canada’s most populated province, on Sunday directed the Liquor Control Board of Ontario to remove all US alcohol products from its physical and online stores no later than Tuesday.
The ban not only prevents individual customers from buying American alcohol, but also wholesale customers, including bars, restaurants and grocery and convenience stores.
According to the LCBO, it sells more than $676 million in US-made alcohol, of which it lists more than 3,600 products from 35 US states.
“I wish we weren’t here,” Premier Doug Ford of Ontario said in a statement after Trump’s announcement over the weekend.
“President Trump has chosen to move forward with tariffs that will only hurt America and make Americans poorer. Canada now has no choice but to hit back and hit back hard.”
He said the tariffs threaten some 450,000 jobs in the province and will be felt across all sectors and regions.
