After the new tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on goods from Canada and Mexico came into effect, American alcoholic beverages began to disappear from the shelves of Canadian stores. This was reported by NBC News, writes UNN.
Details
Canadian social media users have posted photos and videos showing how stores across the country are removing alcoholic beverages produced in the U.S. from sale.
For example, Joshua Gariepy, a university student in Quebec, posted a photo on Wednesday showing empty shelves in a store in Quebec where American spirits were once displayed.
"For me, this photo perfectly reflects the situation: the sign 'Products from the USA' remains, but the shelves are empty," Gariepy said in an interview, referring to the sign above the empty shelf that reads 'Etats-Unis', which in French means 'United States'.
The government of New Brunswick announced on Facebook that it has stopped purchasing alcohol from the U.S., posting a video of an employee repackaging wine bottles from the American section of the Alcool NB Liquor store.
In another video posted on TikTok by user @Keltieheather, empty shelves under various signs reading 'USA' are shown in a store in Nova Scotia.
@keltieheather this gets deleted..... but #nslc #canadianproduct #canada🇨🇦 #canada_life🇨🇦 #Canadian #trump #Trudeau #elbowsup #trademark #letsgo ♬ som original - Gabriel Bernardo
The Ontario Alcohol and Gaming Commission announced in a statement on its website on Tuesday that it has "halted the purchase of all goods from the U.S."
These trade restrictions could significantly impact American alcohol manufacturers. For example, in 2023, Kentucky alone exported whiskey and other beverages to Canada worth $76 million. Now this product has disappeared from Canadian stores, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated that "Kentucky bourbon is finished."
The Distilled Spirits Council in its statement on Wednesday said it is "extremely concerned" about the removal of American alcoholic products from Canadian stores, as well as the corresponding tariffs.
The Council estimated that due to the 25% tariff on imports of distilled spirits from Canada and Mexico, 31,000 jobs could be lost in America.
"These tariffs from the U.S. on Mexico and Canada will cause tremendous harm to American companies and workers throughout the wine and distilled spirits supply chain, from restaurants, bars, and retail outlets to shippers and importers/exporters of distilled spirits and wine products," the document states.
Reminder
U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on nearly all goods from Canada and Mexico, stating that the tariffs are intended to hold America's largest trading partners accountable for supplying fentanyl to the country.
In response to the U.S. tariffs, Canada on Tuesday imposed its own tariffs, implementing a previously proposed plan to impose 25% tariffs on American goods worth CAD 155 billion (USD 107 billion).
