Canadian consumers are embracing a ban on US liquor as the nation’s trade war with its southern neighbour intensifies.

Despite US President Donald Trump’s decision to postpone proposed tariffs on his North American neighbours, Canada has already begun pre-emptive measures that are hurting US businesses.

Trump on Friday suspended the 25 per cent tariffs he imposed this week on most goods from Canada and Mexico, amid unsettled financial markets and concerns over inflation and a growth slowdown.

However, several Canadian provinces have already moved to pull American-made alcohol from store shelves, leading the head of American whisky distiller Jack Daniel’s to denounce the retaliation.

Liquor retailers across Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia have begun removing US spirits, wines and beers from shelves, replacing them with Canadian and international alternatives.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) – one of the world’s largest alcohol buyers, which sells nearly US$1 billion ($1.6 billion) worth of US alcohol annually – had pulled all these products from shelves.

The LCBO’s exclusive wholesaler status in Ontario means that other retailers, bars, and restaurants in the province can no longer restock US products.

Quebec’s Société des alcools du Québec has followed suit, halting imports and promotions of American beverages, Just Drinks reported.

British Columbia Premier David Eby went even further, stating the province was specifically targeting “red-state liquor products”.

Lawson Whiting, CEO of Brown-Forman, owner of Tennessee liquor giant Jack Daniel’s, called the move “worse than tariffs” and “disproportionate” to the US levies.

“I mean, that’s worse than a tariff, because it’s literally taking your sales away, completely removing our products from the shelves,” Whiting said.

Chris Swonger, president of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), called the action “misguided retaliation” that he said would hurt both American producers and Canadian businesses.

Kentucky Distillers Association president Eric Gregory issued a statement pleading for an end to the measures, calling them “unjust and disproportionate”.

“Hard working Americans – corn farmers, truckers, distillery workers, barrel makers, bartenders, servers and communities and business built around Kentucky bourbon – will suffer,” Gregory said.

Canadians have generally embraced the bans. Photo: Reddit

‘Good riddance’

The US liquor ban, however, been met with widespread enthusiasm from Canadian consumers, many of whom are vowing to boycott US alcohol permanently.

Social media users on Reddit, including the newly formed BuyCanadian group, reacted to videos of Jack Daniel’s and other American brands being removed from the shelves, with comments like “good riddance,” and “keep it off for good”.

“Even if they put the American booze back on the shelf, I’m not buying it,” another user vowed, highlighting the lasting damage to US-Canadian relationships by Trump’s tariffs and desires to acquire Canada as a 51st state.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency also said it had noted an increase in complaints about items mislabelled as products of Canada or missing information about their country of origin as locals look to boycott US products.

The trade dispute has drawn strong reactions from Canadian leaders. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticised the US tariffs, calling them “a very dumb thing to do”.

He also accused Trump of seeking to undermine the Canadian economy.

Shortly after Trudeau’s address, Trump struck back again with a further threat against Canada.

“Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the US, our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The reference to “governor” was taken to relate to Trump’s suggestions that Canada should become the US’s 51st state.

Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has expressed concern at Trump’s remarks about making Canada the 51st US state, taking them “very seriously”.