In less than two weeks, the Canadian economy could get hit by a fresh round of sweeping tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, but despite the mounting threat, new data shows Canadians in seven provinces still don’t want U.S. alcohol back on the shelves.
Nearly seven in 10 (69 per cent) of Canadians in British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba and the four Atlantic provinces said their provincial governments should keep the restrictions on American alcohol in place, a new survey data released by Abacus Data revealed on Thursday.
Only 19 per cent want American products returned to store shelves, while 11 per cent are unsure, the survey of 1,363 adults added.
Last month, Trump decided to impose 50 per cent tariffs on the vast majority of Canadian goods in response to “discriminatory” measures, including provincial boycotts of American booze. Those measures are set to go into effect on Aug. 19.
Trump signed three executive orders, each one using a different justification for the new tariff: the provincial and territorial boycotts on American alcohol products, Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles and auto parts and quotas on American dairy imports under Canada’s supply management system.
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In early 2025, several Canadian provinces removed U.S. alcohol from their shelves in response to Trump’s trade war and threats to make Canada the “51st state.”
“These results suggest provincial governments have considerable public room to keep American alcohol off their shelves,” said Abacus Data CEO David Coletto.
In British Columbia, an overwhelming 72 per cent said they want the ban to stay in place, Abacus Data said.
In Ontario and Atlantic Canada, that figure was at 69 per cent, while it was 63 per cent in Manitoba.
Opposition to U.S. booze was sharper among Canadians aged 60 and over at 78 per cent, compared to 60 per cent among those between the ages of 30 and 44.
Canadians are also split along political lines, with more than eight in 10 Canadians identifying as Liberal (83 per cent) and NDP (84 per cent) voters supporting the restrictions.
In contrast, 53 per cent of Canadians identifying as Conservative voters said they support the measures.
Overall, more than half (54 per cent) of Canadians want the restrictions to stay in place until the U.S. removes its tariffs, even if it results in further retaliation from the Trump administration.
Another 19 per cent said the restrictions should stay in place permanently. However, 19 per cent also said provinces should lift those restrictions to ease trade tensions and eight per cent were unsure.
“This is not simply about wine, beer or spirits. The results reflect a broader public instinct that Canada should not reward economic pressure with immediate concessions,” Coletto said.
Recent Ipsos polling conducted exclusively for Global News found that Canadian attitudes towards the U.S. have been souring further since the trade war.
Six in 10 Canadians (60 per cent) say they can never trust the Americans the same way ever again, the poll found.
The Ipsos poll found that 71 per cent Canadians feel that these Canada-U.S. disputes will continue for several years and are not going to be resolved soon.
US Liquor should go back on the shelves and let Canadians decide if they want to buy or not. My guess is that sales won’t be strong enough to warrant the previous space they occupied on shelves
All of these comments come from fake trollbots
Didn’t global news just run this same article with the same poll about 3 weeks ago?
These polls are made to shape public perception.
Make a poll on X for Canadians with the same question and you will get entirely different results with thousands more people.
Elbozos up ! Half of Carneys family resides in USA and most of his assets are there….but hey keep voting stupid and watching the Canadian peso drop
Elbows Up is so childish. Let people buy what they want. A small cohort of Canadians seem to like to tell everyone else where or how to spend their money.
I refuse to buy any wine from Canada. It is more expensive than Oregon/California and of lower quality.
Fred: American alcohol does not cause cancer. That is a rumour started by MADD.
I boycott American goods. That includes booze and produce. That is my choice. The provinces should not have a choice, but stock what sells. If we do not buy it, they do not stock it. and Trump cannot complain about that.
Sure, bring them back if you want to have cancer. Otherwise, no thanks.
I do, put it back let boomers drink wisers swill
Glad Alberta has American liquor on the shelves. I am still buying Kentucky Bourbon. I never went “Elbows Up”. Think it is a dumb ideology.
Here is a novel concept, if you do not want Yankee booze, then do not buy it. Keep your beliefs off of me. Meddlesome yutz’s
Eby and Ford both at the bottom of the polls. They should think before they use there mouth.
Short sighted and stupid !!! How about some Chinese beer and liquor, or Mongolian wine ? Canada cannot exist if we become insular or if we get angry and stomp our feet at our strongest and most lucrative trading partner, the USA. Negotiation is the key to getting a good deal with the US, not childish antics and threats of going elsewhere. Carney just does not have the ability to negotiate with Trump and so he stirs up anger with his silly elbows up nonsense and many of you fell for it hook line and sinker.
A childish policy
No surprose that intellectually lazy and emotionally unstable Canadians support it
Keep US alcohol off of our liquor store shelves…you don’t reward a country that treats you like dirt…
This is inaccurate. I want good whiskey back.
I want it back I need some good wine & beer I’m tired of all the overpriced local garbage.
Only MAGA traitors wants it back. Leave!
I want it back on the shelves