Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he has instructed the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) to remove American alcohol from its store shelves if U.S. President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods.
“I’ve sent a direction to the LCBO that if these tariffs come to clear off every bit of U.S. alcohol off the shelves,” Ford said at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association’s annual general meeting and conference in Toronto on Jan. 20—the same day as Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States.
Instead, Ford said he wants to focus on promoting more Ontario-made wines, vodkas, and spirits.
“That’s what we need to do,” he said. “We are the largest purchaser of alcohol in the entire world. They will feel the pain. I will make sure I communicate this to our other premiers that they should be following suit.”
The premier’s comments come as Trump announced the 25 percent tariffs could be put in place against both Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1.
Ford has been vocal about the measures he thinks Ontario, and Canada as a whole, should take to respond to any tariffs implemented by Trump. The premier has been campaigning against the tariffs since Trump first floated the idea in November, giving interviews to U.S. media outlets and speaking with his American counterparts in a number of states.
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One of his most recent conversations about retaliatory tariffs was with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Ford said.
“First thing out of his mouth is, ‘don’t touch my bourbon,’” Ford said. “And I said, ‘governor, that’s a serious business down there.’ When you touch their bourbon, it’s like messing with our LCBO. So I said, ‘governor, you got to talk to your president, because the first thing we’re doing, we’re getting your bourbon.’”
Trump had previously promised to slap the tariffs on Canada’s exports on his first day in office, if Ottawa didn’t tighten border security to prevent illegal migration and drug trafficking into the United States.
Trump called Canada “a very bad abuser” on both counts.
He discussed border security with reporters while signing executive orders at the White House Jan. 20, saying Canada allows “vast numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to come in” to the country.
While Trump signed several executive orders following his inauguration, levying tariffs against Canada wasn’t among them.
“I think we’ll do it Feb. 1,” the president said when asked by reporters about the timing of the tariffs.
Trump also referenced the 25 percent tax during his inauguration speech and discussed the establishment of an “External Revenue Service” tasked with the collection of such tariffs.
Canada’s Response
Ottawa announced last month its $1.3 billion plan to boost border security through the creation of new security units and deploying additional helicopters and drones to the border. Trump has yet to acknowledge or comment on the plan.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has said Canada will persist in its efforts to beef up border security while also preparing to implement retaliatory measures against the United States.
“We have been, of course, working on retaliation,” Joly said at a Jan. 20 press conference, adding that her government is also preparing a “long-term response.”
Ford has been one of the most vocal premiers about the impending tariffs. He told reporters last month that Ontario has a big role to play as Canada’s most populated province and is prepared to “use every tool in our toolbox.”
He has floated several retaliatory ideas including cutting off the power Ontario supplies to 1.5 million households in New York, Minnesota, and Michigan.
While Ford has been coy about some of the measures he is backing, he has repeatedly noted that Canada is a major oil and gas supplier for the United States. Canada provides both resources to the United States at a discount compared to world market pricing.
Ford has also pointed to America’s reliance on Canadian minerals.
“We have critical minerals that get shipped across the border every day for their manufacturing capabilities in their military,” he said earlier this month, noting that Saskatchewan uranium is refined in Ontario.
“They wouldn’t be able to survive without the uranium for their weapons. Nickel up in Sudbury, we have some of the finest grade nickel in the world. The Americans need to keep their manufacturing going.”
The premier recently said the 25 percent tariff could lead to the elimination of approximately 450,000 to 500,000 jobs in Ontario, depending on the sectors that are impacted.
The premier has indicated he may need to allocate tens of billions of dollars to address the impacts of the tariffs in Ontario. He has hinted at the possibility of calling an early provincial election to ask voters for a “clear mandate” on the tariff response.
