As the trade dispute with the U.S. drags on after a deal recently fell through, the availability of American alcohol in Canada remains largely unchanged.
While it’s sometimes reported there’s a ban on American alcohol in the country, the reality is more complicated.
“Embargo doesn’t fit. It’s not a tariff, it’s not a blockade and it’s not a boycott,” said Robert Huish, a Dalhousie University professor in Halifax who studies sanctions, tariffs and economic weapons.
“It’s almost like a flex move, really, where the provinces are able to say, ‘Hey, look, we’re making this choice for the short term,’ and there seems to be a lot of public support for that choice there,” said Huish.
The reality is that the availability of American alcohol varies widely across the country — from full availability in Alberta to unavailable at the LCBO, Ontario’s Crown-run liquor retailer, which happens to be one of the largest purchasers of alcohol in the world.
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Many other provinces, including Nova Scotia, happen to be somewhere in the middle.
“That choice to not shelve product, that’s been a very powerful symbolic message, right to the Trump White House,” Huish said. “He’s reacted to it personally.”
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What follows is a province-by-province look at the availability of American alcohol across Canada.
While American alcohol has remained off the shelves at the Crown-run B.C. Liquor stores since early last year, warehoused American product can still be purchased by private liquor stores, restaurants, bars and pubs from the province’s Liquor Distribution Branch.
Alberta, which has a private liquor retailing system, has a public liquor importer, Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC). In March 2025, the importer announced it would no longer accept American alcohol imports, though retailers were permitted to sell existing inventory.
In June 2025, Alberta lifted the import ban.
Saskatchewan uses a model similar to Alberta’s. The Crown-run Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority acts as the main distributor, while retail stores are privately owned.
In March 2025, Saskatchewan Liquor announced it would stop purchasing U.S. alcohol, but resumed imports three months later.
Late last month, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced a 50 per cent retaliatory levy on American alcohol products.
Manitoba’s Crown liquor retailer, Manitoba Liquor Mart, removed American alcohol from store shelves in March 2025, while the Crown-run distributor halted imports at the same time.
In December, warehoused American alcohol went back on the shelves.
After the breakdown of the U.S. trade deal and resulting imposition of tariffs on Canadian goods, Manitoba Liquor pulled the remaining U.S. alcohol off the shelves late last month.
Ontario has maintained the strictest boycott of American alcohol of any province.
After removing American alcohol from LCBO shelves and halting U.S. imports in March 2025, the province has refused to sell off any of its roughly $80 million in warehoused stock, unlike most other jurisdictions.
The province has also resisted calls to sell the product for charity.
Quebec has maintained the second-strictest boycott, stopping imports of American alcohol and pulling stock from the SAQ in March 2025.
However, in February, the province resumed selling roughly $9 million worth of American product that was at risk of perishing, such as ready-to-drink beverages and sake.
New Brunswick’s Crown-run alcohol retailer and distributor, ANBL, stopped purchasing American alcohol in February 2025 and pulled existing stock from shelves a month later.
In May 2025, ANBL resumed selling American alcohol to select buyers, such as private agency stores. By January 2026, American alcohol had returned to all ANBL retail channels.
Nova Scotia’s Crown-run alcohol retailer and distributor, NSLC, stopped buying American alcohol in January 2025 and pulled it from the shelves in March 2025. In December, it resumed selling the warehoused product.
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P.E.I.’s Crown-run alcohol retailer and distributor, the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission, stopped buying American alcohol in March 2025 and pulled it from the shelves that same month. In December, it once again began selling its warehoused stock.
The Crown-run Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation removed American alcohol from its shelves early last year and has not ordered additional inventory since the trade dispute began.
In December, sales of the existing American stock resumed.
The Yukon Liquor Corporation stopped placing orders for U.S.-made alcohol products in March 2025. While existing stock is not available in the six corporate stores, private licensees can sell from their existing inventory and the corporation’s warehoused stock.
The Northwest Territories Liquor and Cannabis Commission stopped buying American alcohol in March 2025. Existing stock was never removed from the shelves and continues to be sold through regular retail and wholesale channels. As of the middle of last month, the commission said there was less than $5,000 worth of U.S. alcohol on the shelves.
The Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission stopped purchasing American alcohol in March 2025 and pulled it from the shelves at the same time, but resumed some sales in July 2025.
“American alcohol products are held in NULC inventory, but are not currently being sold in NULC stores,” a spokesperson wrote to CBC News.
Even with American alcohol available for sale in many parts of the country, interest remains tepid as Canadians seek out local alternatives, said Huish.
“That’s something that is sort of growing out of the disdain for this consistent belligerent behaviour from the U.S.,” he said.
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