Premiers respond to Trump’s tariffs with bans on U.S. booze sales, calls to buy Canadian

Several of Canada’s premiers reacted to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs by pulling American booze off the shelves of their provincial liquor stores, one of the few levers they have at their disposal to strike back at the economic aggression from south of the border.

Provincial or territorial governments in B.C., Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador and Northwest Territories all announced bans or restrictions on sales of U.S. booze. The moves come on top of the federal government’s initial list of retaliatory tariffs, unveiled on Sunday, which also targets American wine, beer and other alcohol for matching Canadian levies.

Some premiers also announced other anti-American actions. Quebec Premier François Legault said his government was looking into penalizing U.S. companies bidding on Quebec government contracts or doing business with Quebec. And B.C. Premier David Eby said he would block B.C. Crown corporations and health authorities from buying U.S. goods and services, and direct them to buy Canadian.

It was unclear just what effect any of the provincial moves would have on the White House, which issued an executive order slapping 25-per-cent tariffs on all Canadian goods as of Tuesday, except energy, which will be charged a 10-per-cent rate. In posts on social media on Sunday, Mr. Trump renewed his threats to press Canada into becoming the 51st state and his belief in tariffs.

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that starting Tuesday, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario would pull all American products off its shelves. All U.S. wine, spirits and beer would also be delisted from the LCBO’s wholesale catalogue, meaning grocery stores, corner stores and restaurants that sell alcohol will not be able to reorder it once their supplies run out.

The LCBO, which is one of the world’s largest single purchasers of alcohol, sells about $1-billion worth of U.S. booze a year, Mr. Ford said. In a statement announcing the move on Sunday, he said consumers should switch to products made in Ontario or Canada instead. The liquor retailer said in a statement that the directive would affect more than 3,600 products from 35 U.S. states.

Mr. Ford, the Progressive Conservative Leader running for re-election in a snap vote he called despite the tariff crisis, was to announce other measures aimed at protecting Ontario on Monday on the campaign trail, spokeswoman Ivana Yelich said in an e-mail. He is also set to appear again on several U.S. cable news networks to make Canada’s case.

Ms. Yelich did not respond to a question about whether Mr. Ford would cancel a $100-million provincial contract awarded to Starlink, a satellite-internet provider controlled by billionaire and prominent Trump ally Elon Musk. Both Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie have demanded an end to the deal, but Mr. Ford has previously defended the contract to connect remote rural areas to the internet and said it was awarded competitively.

B.C.’s booze ban appeared more targeted than Ontario’s. Mr. Eby said Saturday he had directed the BC Liquor Distribution Branch to immediately stop buying alcohol from what he described as “red states” – or those won by Mr. Trump and his Republican Party – and remove their most popular brands from government-owned BC Liquor Store outlets.

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“We’re trying to send a message to specific decision makers,” he said in a video message, calling Mr. Trump’s tariffs “a declaration of economic war against a trusted ally and friend.”

He also said the province has identified 10 major resource projects that will be sped up, which he said would create more than 6,000 jobs in sectors including mining, renewable energy and natural gas.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said his government was directing the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation to stop the sale of American products at Manitoba Liquor Marts, effective on Tuesday, a move he said would cost the U.S. economy $80-million. He warned that the tariffs posed a threat to “our sovereignty as an independent country” and urged Manitobans to buy Canadian goods.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, in addition to a ban on U.S. alcohol-sales ban, doubled tolls on his province’s Cobequid Pass for commercial vehicles entering from the U.S.

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In a statement on X, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced no retaliatory measures of her own but took credit for the lighter U.S. tariffs on oil and called on the other provinces and the federal government to fast-track new east-west pipelines to get her province’s resources to global markets.

Carlo Dade, director of trade and infrastructure for the Calgary-based Canada West Foundation think tank, said the provincial and federal governments are scrambling and should have been prepared months ago to respond to the U.S. tariffs.

He said they should already have plans in place to help businesses and workers hurt by the U.S. tariffs, to rip up internal trade barriers – and to adjust to the new reality that the U.S. no longer plays by the rules.

“The premiers, instead of focusing on symbolic things like banning booze, [should be focusing on] how are we going to help businesses deal with this economic shock,” Mr. Dade said.

Veteran Canadian trade lawyer Lawrence Herman said it was a good idea for provinces to ban U.S. booze, even if some of their actions could be seen to violate trade rules in normal times.

“Donald Trump doesn’t abide by the rules,” Mr. Herman said.

With reports from Frédérik-Xavier D. Plante and Laura Stone