Canada’s provincial bans on U.S. booze led to a 63 per cent decline in U.S. alcohol exports to Canada last year, an industry body told the Trump administration on Wednesday, adding that the “trade friction” is causing job losses in the industry.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have prompted retaliatory action, particularly from the European Union and Canada, which has hurt the U.S. alcohol industry, said Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
“Even the threat of tariffs creates uncertainty, negatively impacting exports,” Swonger told the Section 301 Committee, an interagency body under the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Currently, all but two provinces — Alberta and Saskatchewan — have bans on the sale of U.S. booze. That has hurt U.S. alcohol exports to Canada, which declined by 63 per cent in 2025, Swonger said.
The “ongoing trade frictions” have meant that U.S. distilleries lost 3.5 per cent of their workforce, nearly 1,000 jobs, from September 2024 to September 2025, Swonger told the committee.
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Speaking to reporters last month, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the U.S. side had expressed concern over “provincial actions, with respect to alcohol on the shelves.”
These are “trade irritants” for the American side as negotiations in the renewal of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (CUSMA) near.
Following Trump’s announcement of tariffs on Canada, several Canadian provinces decided to pull millions of dollars of U.S.-made alcohol off their shelves.
The U.S. government is taking note of Canada’s booze bans. In a report on foreign trade barriers released last month, the U.S. Trade Representative said the provincial bans were raising “serious concerns” in the Trump administration.
The administration will continue to “press Canada” to remove these bans as CUSMA talks shape up, the USTR report said.
In a social media post last month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford doubled down on his ban on American booze.
“I want to be clear: American alcohol will only go back on shelves when the U.S. removes its tariffs,” he said.
@ Stars and Stripes
Better Carney than your fat orange ped0.
Stars & Stripes guy should go and live in the USA and enjoy their wonderful healthcare system. Elbows Up, we don’t need American booze, or anything else from them.
Whiny Canadians that totally freeload on the USA . Hope Trump makes Canada show respect.
Canadian wine is garbage compared to California and Oregon wine. Canada just doesn’t have the climate and Canadian wine is usually more expensive
American booze has been on the shelves in Saskatchewan since spring 2025… Still not buying it
@Lindsay.
You must be an Elbows Up Trudeau and Carney Lover.
America should boycott everything from Canada except goods from Alberta and Saskatchewan. All other Canadians are so ungrateful.
I like American liquor. Enough with the bans. This hurts the companies and workers that make the product, none of who are the enemy.
I will still buy Kentucky Bourbon. Don’t care what Carney or Elbows Up Canadians think.
LOVE the ban of us alcohol Canadians have spoken with the choices they make on buying from the CORRUPT us
Like the us Alcohol Industry needs to see & feel what the corrupt trump administration is doing ti your closest ally 🇨🇦
Trump should hit Canada even harder. Canada has freeloaded for years on NATO, Military support, and expects the USA to do everything for them.
@Ryan.
So easy to get you triggered. Truth must hurt no doubt.
Interesting how Candians blame Trump for all their misfortunes, instead of looking inward at the destructive policies of Carney and Trudeau. Ignorance isn’t bliss.
@ MAGA is the worst: You stupid? Bibi Netanyahoo is calling trump’s shots. Two cons staying out of jail.
@ Yank my doodle: And you prove my point. Live here much?
No school massacres yet today?
To MAGA is the Best, Canadian in Texas, Yankee Doodle, and all others who are too cowardly to use their real name in the comments makes it irrelevant.
Fun to watch POTUS Trump totally dominate Elbows Down Carney. USA calls the shots as they should be
@Ben. Maybe Canadians should start taking your advice. Focusing on domestic issue instead of blaming the USA for all of Canadas shortcomings and failures.
The USA offers a far superior lifestyle than Canada, by far.
@Ryan R.
You are so triggered, so emotional. Typical Elbows Up Lib.
Just smoke one instead and chill.
In Texas you can get 20 years for a joint.
Phuck their Jack Daniels and their stupidity.
@ spankyourdoodle
Idiot Yank says we are irrelevant but he lives on here anyway???
That you donnie?
Tariffs are taxes.
Grade six.
Ban that cancer causing swill from trump.
So….it has got their attention. Perfect! Now we an stop buying cars made in the USA, we are their biggest market.
Lots of US citizens commenting here. Why on earth are they obsessed with Canada? Must be jealousy… Canada ranks much higher than the United States in measures of freedom and democracy. Maybe focus on your own issues?
Canadians are huge cry babies and an unserious country. Feelings hurt on everything and moaning about that the USA should give Canada a “break” because they are friends. Meanwhile, Canada for decades have freeloaded of NATO. Canada is irrelevant for a reason
Canada is doing poorly economically because of failed policies by Carney and Trudeau. They scapegoat Trump for their total incompetence.
You forgot to mention King Turd McNugget’s talk of making Canada the 51st State. I’m pretty confident that may have had something to do with the boycott as well.
Trolls here don’t even know that tariffs are taxes! Any real Conservative knows that from grade one. Not the donald. lol…and they thought I got dementia!
American whiskey is just gut rot and their beer is watered down pizz.
@ zhithead who says don’t blame trump for his love of taxes (tariffs)….phuck off stupid.
To the person who mentioned Canada’s tariffs on dairy, those tariffs have been in place for decades because USA heavily subsidizes the US dairy industries so that americans can enjoy cheap dairy products, which is great, but surely any fair-minded capitalist would agree that it would not be appropriate to dump non-competitive products on the Canadian market.
I’m sure the liberals, Ford government, and elbows up crowd are proud of themselves. But how about us having the highest food inflation in the G7, no jobs being created, a trillion $ of investment chased away in the past 10 years, soaring public service costs yet somehow a matching decline in services…need I continue?
What a total flop Carney has been so far. After a full year, nothing has been done or completed. Carney is all hat and no cattle.
@Ben. Stop blaming Trump. Canada can control its own destiny but first step is stat getting stuff done instead of talking about it.
Lots of US and Russian commenters here trying to interfere in our country!
I love Kentucky Bourbon I won’t give that up for Carnival Carneys fake elbows up theatrics. I would prefer to be a part of the USA than Canada.
So glad I moved to Texas. No regrets and the weather is better. Canada circling the drain because of Trudeau and Carney.
Trump calls the shots. Not Elbows Up baby Carney
Who cares how many dumb hillbillies post here. As if that will make us buy that pizz. Nope.
Our beer is better and their whiskey is gut rot. Fact.
@anonymous: phuck off trump loser and take your dairy hormones with you
Canada has had huge tarrifs on dairy for a long tme. So how many whiny Canadians are against those tarrifs.
Canadians are a bunch of cry babies. I don’t know how banning Amerian alcohol is legal. Just wondering – is Canada banning Chinese goods and Iranian goods? They both have horrific human rights violations like force organ donors and genocide. NO CANADA IS DOING MRE TRADE WITH CHINA. This shows how stupid my fellow Canadians are
What happened to “master negotiator” Carney who promised a trade deal in July 2025. All talk no action. Zero results shown
Carney totally failing. No deal with Trump in over a year and now Honda Canada is shelving a huge project in Ontario. Total strikeout by Carney, Trudeau, and Ford. Hilarious.
I’m with Doug Ford,america can go hoop their foreheads.Corrupt administration is all they are in the orange sh*tler clan.
Hey Sherry Telle,
Thank you!
If the boycotts weren’t hurting the American Ambassador wouldn’t be crying.
99.9% of Americans don’t care about Canada, mostly irrelevant and insignificant. Yet Canadians can’t help to blame and curse the USA 24/7. Time to do as your told. We live rent free in your heads no doubt.
Strange the American assumption that if their liquor becomes available in Canada, Canadians will resume purchasing it. Neither their booze nor their country is the least bit attractive to many of us. My money stays here.
Canadian are big babies and blame everything on Trump instead of addressing that the Liberals under Carney and Trudeau have driven the country into the ditch.
@Critical Thinker You ain’t no Canadian. You’re a commie or Yankee. Mind your business and clap your trap.
@Elbozos Up PLEASE INCREASE YOUR BOURBON INTAKE 1000 FOLD. I BEG YOU.
Good.
Yet Canadian booze sale in the USA are down 76%…lmfao
So what? Insignificant if you look at the size of the US economy.
Carney and the Liberals are more of a threat to Canada than Trump. Such sheep in Canada.
Glad Alberta didn’t go Elbows up like the other fools. Can still get American spirits in the shelves. Need the Kentucky Bourbon. This is no substitute.
Roughly 0.2–0.3% (or less) of total U.S. liquor (distilled spirits) by value ends up sold in Canada, based on pre-2025 normal trade conditions.
But I guess if you add wine the total exports to Canada is around 2% to 3%.
It’s not only the tarriffs, it’s the 51’st state rhetoric and threats. And not only alcohol, we are boycotting as many US made goods as possible.
Oh so Trump is upset because we retaliated? The arrogance this narcissist never ceases to amaze me.
It’s like reading comments from children…only they’re all over 70 giving the youth of this country the finger. You’re going to go down as one of the most selfish and disgusting generations of all time.
Hey lemmings. Could you please try using some critical thinking? I know you’re all over 70 sitting like fat cats in your paid-for homes and are glued to your TV’s watching CBC and Global “News”, so it might be an impossible task. But you should know that we were the first ones to violate CUSMA with supply management and the DST.
maybe if they drop tarrifs on Canadian goods the booze might flow again but don’t cry foul when we fight back.!!!
Canada’s booze bans led to 63 per cent fall in exports: U.S. industry body……..Good!
**** America
No ban in Alberta, but many of us Albertans are boycotting US alcohol on our own, as well as US produce, orange juice, Kraft products, Uncle Bens, Amazon, Walmart, what ever we can boycott we do.
Where all these MAGA elbow down propping your cult leader? Come on loosers! Show the dictator your love!
All auto manufacturers will leave Canada. Metal makers will leave as well. In fact, any manufacturing industrial companies will follow. Who’s fault would be that? Trump? Nope!
Good. The US Tariffs, and threats of tariffs started this whole thing. We will remove the bans, and start buying US booze again, when there is a binding promise not to throw on tariffs. That would be part of the CUSMA negotiations. Ford is right. Smith and Carney are wrong. As this is the only way to get through to Trump, we need to keep it up until he agrees.
Too many times TACO changes his mind.
Unfortunately, alcohol is a category #1 on the global addictive drug list with painkillers like oxycontin.
So when you think about it, Ford was right to pour out that swamp swill on more than one level. We have better beer too.
As a nation, don’t we have a say over what products come in? If we don’t want US booze, that’s our right and the US needs to stop crying. We aren’t obligated to buy their goods.
Love to see it
@ Hiram: Who is “they?” The red neck drinkers or the bigwigs? Both?
Well if the industry bigwigs think a 63 % cut is bad, imagine if Smith cut off all the red necks in Red Deer as well ?
They’d be phucked.
Finally the donald does something Canada can thank him for!
We sobered up from that gut rot!
Better than AA.
Smith and Moe are still boozing it up. Figures.
Check out Scott Moe’s driving record.
The numbers would have been much better had trump lover Governor smith of the separatists party of the wannabe 51 state would not have lied to Canadians about removing American booze from the shelves , but actually never stopped ordering it. Such a lying traitor to Canadians .
So perhaps tariffs aren’t the answer
The answer is “no” import of US alcohol until the US tariffs are removed. Quite simple really. The US can bully and have it’s usual whiny temper tantrums but we must stay Canada strong.
Sales of alcohol is down in Canada because of all the taxes that are on the products. When a case of beer and wine is over $60 or higher people can’t afford to drink alcohol on a regular basis