Doug Ford says he'll cancel U.S. booze ban if CUSMA deal is renewed

“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,” he said.

“Maybe we’ll have a little drink of Kentucky bourbon or something in Ontario,” added the teetotalling premier, stressing no such celebrations could happen before the renewal of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

Ford ordered the removal of all American booze from Liquor Control Board of Ontario stores in March 2025 in retaliation for U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and auto parts.

That has meant no Kentucky bourbon or California wine or Tennessee sour mash whiskey or Texas vodka at the Crown-owned liquor giant, although such products have been available elsewhere through other retailers and restaurants in Ontario.

Against the backdrop of the July 1 deadline for a mandatory review of CUSMA, which covers about 85 per cent of trade, Ford softened his tone on the booze ban.

“We just have to keep moving forward for the sake of the country, both countries. We need to get this deal done. We’re seeing inflation happening on goods, on food, on fuel,” he said.

“If we get this deal done, everything is going to flow a lot quicker. There’s going to be more jobs, more opportunities for everyone.”

The premier emphasized that Ottawa is leading CUSMA negotiations and that he conferred with Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc before his two-day trip stateside.

Canada and Mexico have recommended renewing the six-year-old deal for another 16 years. The U.S. has been sending mixed signals, suggesting it could possibly oppose renewal of the agreement, which is slated to continue for another decade. Should that happen, it would trigger an annual review for the next 10 years.

While Ford met with congressional representatives and senators — including North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, a key Trump ally — a planned reception Monday night with Ross Perot Jr., billionaire chair of the United States Chamber of Commerce, was cancelled at the last minute.

“There was little conflict of scheduling, so we have been jammed meeting everyone down here. They rolled out the red carpet for us. They treat us so well,” he insisted.

At Queen’s Park, NDP Leader Marit Stiles derided his junket.

“Doug Ford flew to Washington to play Captain Canada on the taxpayer dime, but he couldn’t even get a meeting on the books with any government officials,” said Stiles, referring to the fact the premier didn’t sit down with anyone from the Trump administration.

Ford, who did an interview with the U.K.-based Financial Times and appeared in studio on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer as part of his Washington trip, countered it was an opportunity to promote “Fortress North America,”

That’s the title of his continental free trade-boosting brochure that builds upon the Fortress Am-Can initiative he touted in Washington in January 2025, which focused on Canada and the U.S. and excluded Mexico.

“We’re sending the message to policymakers, business leaders regarding building Fortress North America. This is a really great document about getting the (CUSMA) deal done as quickly as possible.”

On Wednesday, Ford will host Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro at Queen’s Park, when the two leaders will sign a memorandum of understanding to promote trade between their two subnational jurisdictions.

Shapiro is widely seen as a contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.