Ontario, Nova Scotia premiers say they won't follow Alberta in buying U.S. alcohol again
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Monday that his province won't be following in Alberta's footsteps by bringing American alcohol back to Ontario liquor stores any time soon.
Responding to questions at the Intersect conference hosted by The Globe and Mail in Toronto, Mr. Ford said the province would not buy U.S. alcohol again until President Donald Trump removed tariffs placed on Canadian imports.
'We're the largest purchaser of alcohol in the entire world, the LCBO, you have to use that leverage,' said Mr. Ford in a panel interview, referring to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. 'Thousands of jobs are being lost in Kentucky and in California because we buy more California wines than anyone and we buy more bourbon off Kentucky than anyone.'
The Premier's comments come in the wake of an announcement Friday from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, which said it would resume 'accepting liquor products from the United States, effective immediately.' Alberta Premier Danielle Smith had restricted the sale of U.S. alcohol in the province in March in retaliation against the Trump administration's tariffs on Canadian imports.
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The Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally said on Friday that the move was meant to convey a 'renewed commitment to open and fair trade' with the U.S.
At Monday's conference, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston echoed Mr. Ford's comments. 'We're not putting the U.S. booze on the shelves in Nova Scotia,' he said.
In response to Mr. Ford's comments, CJ Hélie, president of Beer Canada, a national trade association, said that his industry was 'fortunate to be less directly impacted by current global trade tensions,' compared to other beverage alcohol sectors.
'Nearly 90 per cent of all beer consumed in Canada is made here,' he said in an e-mail.
Michelle Wasylyshen, president and CEO of Ontario Craft Wineries, said that it would be 'a mistake for Ontario to follow Alberta's lead in bringing U.S. products back onto store shelves.'
'Ontario VQA wine continues to see an enormous boost in sales because of U.S. tariffs … the buy-Canadian sentiment and the removal of U.S. products from LCBO shelves. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us.'
Ontario became one of many provinces across the country to restrict the sale of American alcohol in provincial stores in recent months in response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, including tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum that now sit at 50 per cent.
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