Canada’s decision to boycott imported American beers, wines, and spirits in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs is starting to make a real impact.
Many Canadians still hold strong anti-Trump feelings after the president made alarming comments earlier this year about annexing their country and making it the 51st state. This sentiment helped the moderate Mark Carney become Canada’s new prime minister in March, while the right-leaning opposition leader Pierre Poilievre lost his seat.
Since then, Canadian stores have removed bottles of Jack Daniel’s, Maker’s Mark, and Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum from their shelves. They have replaced them with Canadian alternatives like Maverick Distillery’s Barnburner Whisky and Kavi Reserve Coffee Blended Canadian Whisky.
The boycott is a patriotic way for Canada to respond to Trump’s 35 percent tariffs on Canadian goods, and its effects are becoming clear. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Distilled Spirits Council estimates that American liquor sales in Canada dropped 62 percent in the first six months of 2025 compared to last year.
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario, which manages 688 stores in Canada’s largest province, reports zero sales of American products. Last year, these sales were worth $700 million.
In California, wineries belonging to the Wine Institute say they have lost more than $173 million in export value in the first half of the year. This is not surprising since Canada buys 35 percent of California’s exported wine cases.
“The absence of U.S. wine from Canadian stores is not just a market disruption, it’s a breakdown in a trusted relationship built over decades,” Wine Institute CEO Robert Koch told the WSJ.
“This is not just about wine. It’s about farming families, rural jobs, and businesses that depend on international markets.”
Hope Family Wines, another California business, said its sales to Canada have dropped 10 percent since Trump returned to the White House in January. “It’s definitely going to hurt us personally,” said executive vice president Gretchen Roddick.
In Baltimore, Sagamore Spirit CEO Robert Cullins said 10 percent of his rye whiskey used to be shipped to Canada before Trump’s second term. Now, that no longer happens. He called the $2 million loss in sales “pretty significant” for a small craft distillery.
On the positive side, the boycott has boosted sales of Canadian liquor in Ontario by 14 percent.
Trump reacted to the trade setback by complaining that Canada is “mean and nasty to deal with.” Still, Alberta reintroduced American brands in June, though it added a 25 percent retaliatory tariff.
Even with the extra tariff, sales of U.S. bourbon and wine have bounced back. One Calgary store owner told the WSJ, “People are scared that maybe they won’t be able to get them again.”
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