Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he won’t drop an LCBO ban on American alcohol after United States President Donald Trump cited it as one of his issues with Canada in a lengthy social media post.
The ban was introduced last year after U.S. tariffs were first imposed on Canadian imports, leading Ford to tell the Crown corporation to remove all American products from the shelves of provincial liquor stores.
The ban was referenced by Trump in a Monday night complaint about a new bridge planned between Ontario and Michigan, but Ford said he had no intention of changing course.
“It’s obviously working, it’s an irritant,” the premier told reporters on Tuesday. “There’s one thing President Trump can do, get rid of Canadian tariffs…. Get rid of it and we’re good to go.”
Ford said he thinks Ontario should “double down if we have to” on the alcohol ban — although it’s not clear how the ban could be increased.
“This is not the time to roll over and let President Trump take advantage of us,” Ford said. “We want a strong relationship with our closest friend, and we’re going to continue moving forward.”
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Ford said Prime Minister Mark Carney had not mentioned the ban on American alcohol at the LCBO.
In a lengthy post on his Truth Social website, Trump called for immediate negotiations over the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit that he said would seek U.S. ownership of “at least one half of this asset.”
He cited Ottawa’s recent trade agreement with China, Canadian tariff quotas for American dairy products, and Ontario’s ban on U.S. alcohol among his irritants with Canada, and said the bridge is the latest example of Canada treating the U.S. “very unfairly for decades.”
The bridge will serve as a new crossing within the busy Ontario-Michigan trade corridor and aims to ease traffic on the nearby Ambassador Bridge.
As part of the broader complaint about U.S.-Canada relations and the Gordie Howe International Bridge threat, Trump complained about Ontario’s booze ban.
“What does the United States of America get — Absolutely NOTHING!” the president wrote on Monday night. “Ontario won’t even put U.S. spirits, beverages, and other alcoholic products, on their shelves, they are absolutely prohibited from doing so and now.”
Carney said he “explained” to Trump that while Canada paid for the bridge that Trump is threatening to bar from opening, its ownership is shared and construction involved U.S. steel and workers.
“We discussed the bridge. I explained that Canada paid for the construction of the bridge — $4 billion — that the ownership is shared between the state of Michigan and the Government of Canada,” Carney told reporters ahead of a cabinet meeting Tuesday.
Carney said he had a “positive conversation” with Trump. Meanwhile, Ford said he was “very confident” the bridge would open.
Trump’s Truth Social post is the first major test of Ford’s resolve to keep the ban — which has not yet faced the White House’s ire — in place.
It was first suggested during last winter’s snap election and introduced in response to tariffs imposed by Trump in March 2025.
The morning after tariffs came into effect, the Ford government unveiled a ban on selling American alcohol at the LCBO, cancelled a contract for Elon Musk’s Starlink internet and moved to make it harder for U.S. companies to bid on government contracts.
At the time, the government said Ontario imports $965 million worth of booze annually and had 3,600 American products from 36 states on its shelves.
Because the LCBO is also the only place bars or restaurants can buy their stock, the ban effectively removed American alcohol from those locations as well.
The move, however, did not yield an immediate response from the United States.
A brief surcharge on Ontario electricity exported to New York, Michigan and Minnesota angered Trump and was promptly walked back. Meanwhile, the Starlink deal was cancelled — but with a penalty paid to Musk’s company.
The ban on American booze remained in place for the rest of 2025 and into the new year. It is credited by the LCBO for a boost in Ontario wine sales and is a move Ford has said he won’t stand down until tariffs are removed.
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Don’t bring it back just cause some hillbillies here want you too. Good job and keep it up.
Sorry, but Ford is wrong, and what he’s doing won’t change a thing.
Ford has been sniffing way too much glue
Ford’s pulling US liquor from the3 shelves is just another 2-bit prank, pour some more whiskey on the ground, idiot supreme.
Is corrupt Doug just trying to stay relevant? Isn’t there a thousand other things to be paying attention to besides booze?
I’m with you Aman, keep it up Doug , didn’t vote for you , but at least you don’t roll over and beg..
I emigrated to this country 55 years ago , and if i have to stand on the border to defend it from the country that used to be our friend , but who are now the aggressive bullies , I will, despite now being over 70 years old. I moved here because Canada had a sense of decency and a social concience..So lets stop whining abut the elected liberal goverment and stand up for ourselves….
Of all the freedoms Canada denies us, this is the one that people at mad about. A country of morons.
Ford is Carney’s stooge, continually stoking the fires of a trade war so the Liberals can call a snap election and win a majority based on fears rather than facts.
Didn’t we buy this alcohol with our tax dollars. And don’t we pay Doug Ford with our tax dollars. Who the hell gives him any right to decide what to do with our booze and our employee
I would bet my bottom dollar that this alcohol is already gone or on its way to Doug Ford’s friends.
Ford is a pig.
What am I saying, Doug is a moron. Put the booze back on the shelves and let Canadians decide for themselves, you obese slob. Everything is fake conservative has done has hurt Canadians. He’s even being investigated by the RCMP.
Elbows up… what else can you do, Ford?
Maybe you should ban American business in Ontario… like Ford and GM auto companies?
Put the booze back on the shelves and let the consumer decide. Last thing I want is that windbag Ford telling me what I can and can’t choose to do. I probably wouldn’t buy US booze on principle, but take the high ground and stop being the petty thug you seem to want to portray and get on with the actual business of governing – something sadly missing from the Ontario government for the last several years…
Okay, after seeing the other comments here I regret even engaging in this. Most of the comments are simplistic, some would say idiotic, attacks on Doug. Let ignorance rein. (If you know what I mean)
Continue the ban of US alcohol – until things change and respect toward Canada is once again something emanating from the US government. Until then, no thanks! Keep it up Doug!!!
What gives Ford the right to say what Canadians can drink. If Canadians don’t want to buy American alcohol they won’t buy it. Whatever happened to freedom of choice.
Doug is the only guy that can take bigger loads in his prison wallet then I can. But I have way better homeless hair and look more like Beavis then Family guy. Way to go Dougy you the man what could go wrong! Too bad you dont follow your brothers footsteps. MY brother is a tranny and I am gonna follow him
Canada is America… Whats American booze, no more tequila????
Ford wants more laid off factory workers. Trump can easily make that happen for him.
Ford is a sub human invalid
Ford is a conservative in name only. His dead cokehead brother is smarter than him.
Ford even bans Canadian Spirits.