Doug Ford remains silent on Carney’s request to return American alcohol to the LCBO shelves
While the trade relationship between Canada and the United States finally broke down this week, a smaller but symbolic request remained up in the air in Ontario: whether the province will resume selling American alcohol in LCBO stores, something that Premier Mark Carney had asked the provincial premiers to do as a gesture of goodwill while negotiations were underway.
Why did Ontario remove US alcohol from LCBO stores?
Premier Doug Ford ordered the removal of US alcohol from Ontario’s liquor shelves by March 2025 in retaliation for the initial tariffs imposed by Trump. He has maintained this position ever since, stating in July, “We’re not going to back down. The only quick way to get US alcohol back on Ontario’s shelves is for the US to remove its illegal tariffs.”
What did Carney ask for, and what was Ford’s reply?
In mid-August, as negotiations appeared to be nearing an agreement, Carney asked provincial premiers to replenish their supply of American alcohol as a goodwill gesture toward Washington. Several provincial premiers confirmed they would comply. Ford, however, did not respond: according to Global News, neither his office nor the Treasury responded to inquiries on the matter, and the premier has not held a press conference since mid-August.
How big is this boycott in numbers?
The ban affects approximately $965 million in annual imports of U.S. alcohol. A portion of that inventory, nearly $2 million (mostly beer, ready-to-drink beverages, and wine), is already expired or nearing its expiration date in LCBO warehouses. In June, at a meeting with U.S. officials, Ford stated that he would only resume sales of U.S. alcohol once the USMCA trade agreement was renewed.
What changes now that negotiations have completely broken down?
The condition that Ford itself set (not to restock the alcohol until a new trade agreement is signed) is, with the breakdown of August 22, even further from being met: without negotiations underway, there is no agreement to sign, so everything indicates that the ban remains in place indefinitely, although Ford’s office did not explicitly confirm this in recent days.
For now, wine, beer, and ready-to-drink beverages from the United States are still unavailable for purchase at LCBO stores throughout the province.
Editorial Staff Mauricio Navas Talero LJI Reporter