Doug Ford responds to proposed U.S. alcohol law: ‘We won’t back down’

In response to a U.S. proposal to hold Canada accountable for its alcohol boycotts, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said “we won’t back down.”

Ford’s defiant statement, which appeared on X, cited that “U.S. tariffs are threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadian workers, including here in Ontario.”

“We won’t back down. The fastest and only way to get U.S. alcohol back on Ontario shelves is for the U.S. to drop its illegal tariffs on Canada,” the post reads.

U.S. Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney proposed legislation Monday called the Combating Attacks on our National Alcoholic Drinks by Allies (CANADA) Act, which states that under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act, the legislation would direct U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and his office to investigate Canadian provincial liquor board restrictions on the import and distribution of U.S. products within 30 days, if made law.

“Nearly all of Canada’s provincial liquor boards have prohibited or restricted the importation and distribution of American alcoholic beverages, harming U.S. producers and limiting their access to an important export market,” a press release reads.

2:25 ‘Trump is trying to divide us’: Premier Ford defiant as U.S. tariff threats loom

Eight Canadian provincial governments levied restrictions on U.S. alcohol imports following U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs last year.

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On March 4, 2025, American alcohol was officially removed from the shelves of Ontario liquor stores in retaliation to the first round of tariffs levied by Trump.

Ontario imported roughly $965 million worth of booze from the U.S. before the ban. That meant that roughly $2 million worth of U.S. products have either expired or will expire in the next few months.

Most of those products, according to the government, included beer, ready-to-drink beverages and wine.

When meeting with U.S. officials in June, Ford said that American booze will be available for sale once the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement, or CUSMA, is renewed.

1:41 ‘Everyone’s going to be Kumbaya’: Ford on U.S.-Canada tensions as CUSMA review deadline looms

“I just want to get this deal done,” Ford told reporters on June 9 in Washington, D.C., where he was meeting with U.S. officials.

“And I can assure you once that deal’s done, I’m going to be sitting down and bringing all the booze back on shelves in Ontario, and everyone’s gonna be kumbaya. It’s going to be good.”

California Congress members have pushed Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette in the last month for the province to put American wine back on its shelves.

“Unfortunately, the restriction on American wine has had damaging consequences for regional consumers, businesses, and producers who had no influence over national policies. Québec consumers have historically enjoyed access to a wide variety of American wines, and their absence limits choice in the marketplace, while cutting off a $434 million market,” a letter signed by Congress members Jimmy Panetta, Mike Thompson and David G. Valadao reads.

“Reopening the market to American wine would restore consumer choice and signal a commitment to restoring fair and balanced trade for Québecois consumers and American wineries who have no connection to the underlying trade disputes. We would welcome the opportunity to continue to engage in dialogue and work collaboratively toward a resolution.”