Ontario prohibition on US Booze to stay until the new trading deal has been reached, says Ford
A sign on vineyards on a LCBO in Toronto, March 2025. Earlier this year Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford LCBO ordered to remove American alcohol from his shelves and to prohibit future sale in response to American rates on Canadian goods.
Jill Colvin/The Associated Press
Ontario’s Ban on American Booze: A Strategic Move or Political Stance?
The ban on American alcohol in Ontario will continue until the US President Donald Trump lifts the tariffs on Canadian goods or until a new free trade agreement is reached between the two countries – a process that could take a considerable amount of time, warned Prime Minister Doug Ford on Wednesday.
Ford has maintained a tough stance in response to the ongoing trade war between Canada and Trump. In March, he instructed the Liquor Control Board of Ontario to remove American alcohol from its shelves and to cease future sales as a direct retaliation to the initial wave of tariffs imposed by Trump on Canadian goods.
The decision to ban American drinks is expected to play a role in the upcoming negotiations for a new North American free trade agreement, suggested Ford.
“If a deal is reached, another USMCA agreement, which I believe will not happen in the near future – but with President Trump, you never know, things can change rapidly as we have seen before – or if they decide to lift their tariffs, then we will reconsider stocking American alcohol in LCBO, but only if the conditions are favorable,” said Ford.
Last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the removal of retaliatory tariffs on select American goods covered under the Canada-US-Mexico agreement, a move that contradicts Ford’s position.
Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford maintains his ban on American Booze, despite Canada lifting some retaliatory tariffs in the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.
The Canadian press
Canada imposed 25 percent tariffs on a wide range of American goods in March, including oranges, alcohol, motorcycles, and cosmetics. Carney argued that a different approach was necessary in the negotiations with the Americans given the current circumstances.
While Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on steel, aluminum, and cars will remain in place, Ford emphasized the need to protect Ontario’s steel industry by matching the US tariffs dollar-for-dollar.
The ban on American alcohol has had a positive impact on Canadian liquor sales, with Ontario reporting a 67 percent increase in wine sales following the ban. Overall alcohol sales at LCBO rose by 19 percent in the three months following the ban, according to figures from the Ontario Ministry of Finance.
While Quebec liquor stores contemplated disposing of American beverages, Finance Minister Eric Girard directed them to donate the alcohol to charitable causes.
Ford assured that there are no immediate plans to dispose of American Booze in Ontario.
Liberal parliamentary leader John Fraser suggested that the ban on American alcohol could be utilized as a bargaining chip by the federal government in negotiations, but criticized Ford’s confrontational approach towards Trump as more style than substance.
