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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump abruptly suspended his new tariffs on most imports from Canada and Mexico, including liquor, for one month.
In Canadian stores, workers have been pulling liquor produced in America from the shelves.
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) announced Tuesday, March 4, that it would halt all purchases of U.S. products.
The government of Ontario “directed LCBO to take operational steps to implement restrictions on all U.S. beverage alcohol sales,” according to a news release.
In a statement, Chris Swonger, President & CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) called the retaliation “disheartening” and “misguided.”
Cal Bricker heads Spirits Canada, a national trade group.
The organization joined DISCUS and the Mexican Chamber of the Tequila Industry in issuing a joint statement on Saturday, Feb. 1, saying U.S. tariffs would harm all three countries.
“We’re just doing damage to each other for absolutely no reason, and it’s got nothing to do with spirits,” Bricker said. “It’s really unfortunate because bourbon is a huge seller here. Go to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and count how many Canadians are down there when you’re there. It’s a lot, and I want to get back to that.”
Canada imported $221 million in spirits from the U.S. last year, and the U.S. imported $622 million worth of Canadian liquor, according to DISCUS.
“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again and it’s happening and it will happen rather quickly,” Trump said before a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that.”
Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., said Thursday, March 6, that he and Kentucky’s lawmakers have been speaking out about the tariffs.
“These tariffs are a bad idea and it’s not just me that’s saying it,” Beshear said. “Mitch McConnell’s saying it. Rand Paul has said it, and when you have the two Republican senators and the Democratic governor all saying something’s a bad idea, it’s because it’s a bad idea.”
Bricker said that while he hopes the tariffs will be short-lived, Canadians won’t forget.
“I can tell you Canadians are very disappointed and the level of trust that was there, about our mutual viability has really been rocked by this,” he said.
Thursday evening, Swonger issued a new statement celebrating Trump’s decision to suspend tariffs.
“We are hopeful that constructive dialogues continue between the U.S., Canada and Mexico that permanently brings back zero for zero tariffs for spirits trade between our three countries,” he said.
