Premier Doug Ford says he won’t tell the LCBO to put American alcohol back on the shelves, after the White House explicitly cited Ontario’s alcohol ban as a trade irritant behind increased tariffs.
On Monday night, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a fresh threat to impose 50 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods.
The announcement pointed specifically to Ontario’s decision to remove all United States alcohol from store shelves last year in response to Trump’s initial tariffs.
“Beginning in March 2025, all Canadian provinces and territories halted the purchase, distribution, or retailing of U.S. alcoholic beverages,” the White House wrote on Monday.
“For example, on March 4, 2025, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) ceased purchasing all U.S. products and canceled existing orders where contractually possible; removed all U.S. products from wholesale product catalogues and retail eCommerce sites; and removed all U.S. products from LCBO retail stores and outlets.”
Ford, however, said he wouldn’t be swayed on alcohol.
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“We have to negotiate through strength, not weakness,” Ford said. “We need to throw everything on the table.”
Ford said he felt Ontario had led Canada’s tariff response, citing the booze ban and a short-lived, forty-eight-hour electricity surcharge.
Ontario’s ban on American alcohol dates back to the first wave of tariffs from the United States.
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.
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.
“We need to stand up to the bully and we need to hit him tariff-to-tariff, all the way across the board,” Ford added.
Trump said the tariff threat would be realized on Canadian products within 30 days.
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