As Trump administration’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico took effect, Canadian consumers were met with a striking sight.
Empty shelves where U.S.-made liquor once stood.
Across the country, social media users shared photos and videos of stores seemingly removing American spirits from their inventories, turning a routine shopping trip into a political statement.
Joshua Gariepy, a university student in Quebec, captured the moment with a photograph.
A vacant shelf in a local store, still marked by a sign reading “États-Unis,” the French word for “United States.”
“To me, this photo perfectly captures the situation:
Canada’s counterstrike: Tariffs and liquor bans shake the market
Government agencies and liquor boards swiftly took action in response to the U.S. tariffs.
The New Brunswick government announced on Facebook that it had stopped purchasing U.S. alcohol, posting a video of an employee packing away American-made wine bottles.
In Nova Scotia, a TikTok video showed aisles stripped of U.S. spirits beneath signs labeled “USA.”
Meanwhile, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario confirmed it had “ceased the purchase of all U.S. products.”
The economic standoff escalated after President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on nearly all Canadian and Mexican goods.
Further, justifying the move by citing fentanyl concerns.
Trudeau claps back
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected the rationale.
,Stating that “less than 1% of the fentanyl intercepted at the U.S. border came from Canada.”
In retaliation, Canada imposed its own 25% tariffs on $107 billion worth of U.S. good.
One of the most symbolic targets? Kentucky bourbon.
“The governor of Kentucky said, ‘Don’t touch our bourbon,’ and I said,
‘Governor, that’s the first thing we’re going after,’” Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared.
“We’re the largest purchaser of bourbon in the world for Kentucky bourbon manufacturers. They’re done. They’re gone.”
The impact of the tariffs is already being felt.
The Distilled Spirits Council warned that the trade dispute could cost 31,000 American jobs in the wine and spirits sector alone.
With liquor sales disrupted and prices expected to rise, the tariffs threaten to ripple through restaurants, bars, and retail stores across North Americ
The empty shelves in Canadian liquor stores stand as a stark symbol of the growing rift between two of the world’s largest trading partners.
