California Rep. Mike Thompson says it’s in the best interest of both Canadians and Californians for Quebec to lift its restrictions on U.S. alcohol sales.
“California makes the best wine in the world. We have long worked to establish a good trade relationship with our Canadian friends,” the Democrat congressman told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.
“It’s important to us, and it’s important to our Canadian neighbours, that they have access to this fine wine.”
Thompson is one of 14 California lawmakers, from both sides of the aisle, who have signed a letter to Quebec Premier Christine Frechette, urging her to put U.S. wines and spirits back on the shelves, despite Canada’s ongoing trade war with the U.S.
Frechette, however, shows no signs of backing down.
“In the context of the ongoing trade war, the premier continues to defend Quebec’s economic interests,” a spokesperson for Frechette said.
“This measure will remain in place as long as the United States maintains these unjustified tariffs. Our government will re-evaluate its position when the American administration reverses these measures.”
Several Canadian provincial liquor boards stopped purchasing U.S. alcohol last year in response to the U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats of annexation.
While Saskatchewan and Alberta have returned American booze to the shelves, major purchasing provinces like Ontario and Quebec are holding firm.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters in Washington last month he would welcome back U.S. alcohol once the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known as CUMSA, is renewed — something Trump has, so far, declined to do.
“We won’t back down,” Ford said on social media. “The fastest and only way to get U.S. alcohol back on Ontario shelves is for the U.S. to drop its illegal tariffs on Canada.”
Canadian and foreign alcohol sales are up after U.S. booze pulled off shelves
The boycott is having a real impact south of the border.
According to trade data from the U.S. Census Bureau, wine exports from the U.S. to Canada dropped 77 per cent by $343 million US between 2024 and 2025.
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States has said retaliatory bans in Canada led to a 63 per cent decline in U.S. spirits exports to that market in 2025.
But Thomson argues the booze ban isn’t hurting Trump.
“The boycott on American products, specifically California wine, is not moving the needle,” he said. “The only folks who are disadvantaged are Canadian consumers and California producers.”
Thomson and his fellow California congressmembers argue that, because there’s such a huge market for U.S. wine in Quebec, it’s in Canada’s economic interest to ease restrictions.
But while the U.S. wine industry takes a hit, local wine sales are reaping the benefit. Quebec and Ontario wine sales have skyrocketed since the ban went into effect, by 70 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively.
“The U.S. products being taken from the shelves, it’s given new consumers an opportunity to try us,” Michelle Wasylyshen, president and CEO of Ontario Craft Wineries, told CBC News earlier this year.
In addition to Thompson, the letter to Frechette was signed by California Democratic Reps. Jimmy Panetta, Julia Brownley, Salud Carbajal, Gil Cisneros, Jim Costa, John Garamendi, Jimmy Gomez, Doris Matsui, Dave Min, and Kevin Mullin; Republican Reps. David Valadao and Young Kim; and former Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
But they are not alone in their quest to end the booze ban.
Adam Schiff, a Democrat senator from California, also wrote a letter to Frechette last month asking Quebec to lift the restrictions.
“I’m urging the Canadian government to recognize that California doesn’t agree with these tariff wars, to lift these restrictions, and increase consumer options to strengthen both our economies,” he said on social media.
But not everyone is asking nicely.
Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney from New York introduced the Combating Attacks on our National Alcoholic Drinks by Allies Act — or CANADA Act — in the U.S. House of Representatives to prompt an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
If that investigation found unfair trade practices, the United States could respond with tariffs or other import restrictions.
“Canadian provinces cannot be allowed to hold American wineries, breweries and distilleries hostage and attempt to ransom them,” Tenney said in a news release.
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Thompson says that, when it comes to the U.S.-Canada trade war and Trump’s threats to Canada’s sovereignty, California is on Canada’s side.
“The state of California couldn’t be any further apart from where this president is. We have such an incredibly wonderful relationship with our friends from Canada,” he said.
“Nowhere is that more apparent than with our wine trade.”
