Canadian provinces pulling US alcohol off store shelves in response to Trump trade policy is “worse than tariffs”, the boss of Jack Daniel’s maker Brown-Forman has said.
Several Canadian provinces, including Ontario, which is by far the most populated, took action this week in retaliation for US tariffs on Canadian goods.
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), one of the largest buyers of alcohol in the world, removed US-made alcoholic drinks from its shelves on Tuesday.
Brown-Forman boss Lawson Whiting said the Canadian response was “disproportionate” to the 25% levies on Canadian goods imposed by the Trump administration.
“I mean, that’s worse than a tariff, because it’s literally taking your sales away, completely removing our products from the shelves,” Mr Whiting said.
In response to the tariffs, Canada has retaliated with 25% levies on goods imported from the US, including beer, spirits, and wine.
Some provinces also took action themselves, including Ontario and Nova Scotia.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the LCBO sells nearly $1bn of US alcohol per year. “As of today, every single one of these products is off the shelves,” Mr Ford said on Tuesday.
Canadians still wishing to buy US alcohol are being advised to buy products made in Canada.
But some Canadians have been turning to local goods anyway in response to Trump tariffs.
