Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the country’s provinces could reverse their ban on stocking U.S. booze on liquor store shelves if the U.S. tariffs on metals and automobiles coming from Canada are addressed.
"Issues such as decisions on which alcohol to put on the shelves — we can make progress very quickly on that with progress in other areas," Carney said on April 23 at a news conference in Ottawa on housing.
According to BBC News, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on April 22 the liquor ban by most Canadian provinces was "disrespectful," while U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warned of consequences if the issue is not resolved.
Canadian provinces banned the sale of U.S. liquor in response to Section 232 tariffs placed by the Trump administration in 2025 on steel, aluminum, automobiles, agricultural products, and other goods. Ontario, whose liquor control board is one of the largest buyers of alcohol in the world, removed U.S.-made alcoholic drinks from shelves in March 2025.
Carney said that these tariffs are a violation of a standing free trade agreement between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, called the USMCA. The agreement is up for renegotiation July 1.
