CALEDON – Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he will maintain his ban on American booze despite Canada dropping some retaliatory tariffs in the ongoing trade war with the United States.
Ford says he will drop the ban on selling U.S. alcohol at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario when U.S. President Donald Trump removes tariffs placed on Canadian goods or when the two countries strike a new free trade deal.
Ford ordered the removal of products such as California wine and Kentucky bourbon in March in response to tariffs Trump imposed on Canada.
The liquor board in Quebec was contemplating dumping banned American booze that was expiring, but Finance Minister Eric Girard recently told the board to donate the alcohol to charity instead.
Ford says there are no plans yet in Ontario to destroy American booze.
Last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney dropped retaliatory tariffs on goods from the U.S. that are covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, a position at odds with Ford.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2025.
