Most Canadians oppose lifting provincial bans on U.S. booze

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsCanada Most Canadians oppose lifting provincial bans on U.S. booze Overall, 69 per cent of survey respondents say their provincial governments should maintain restrictions on American alcohol Author of the article: By Stewart Lewis Published Aug 07, 2026 Last updated 1 day ago 3 minute read Join the conversation A worker removes bottles of American-made Jack Daniel's whiskey from a shelf at a liquor store in Toronto last year after the Ontario government ordered a ban on sales of U.S. booze in retaliation for the Trump administration's tariffs. PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER KATSAR LUNA/BLOOMBERG Article content A new Abacus Data survey of Canadians in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada shows broad support for keeping American alcohol off the shelves of their respective provincial liquor store shelves — even if mean provoking further tariff retaliation from the Trump administration. Article content Overall, 69 per cent of survey respondents say their provincial governments should maintain restrictions on American alcohol. Only 19 per cent indicated that they want American products returned to store shelves, while 11 per cent said they are unsure. Article content Article content Article content Support extends across every region included in the poll, with the highest coming from British Columbia at 72 per cent, followed by Ontario and Atlantic Canada at 69 per cent, and Manitoba at 63 per cent. Article content NP Posted Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Alberta and Saskatchewan never closed their borders to American beer, wine, and spirits. Hence, residents of those provinces were not surveyed. Quebec maintains a ban but residents of that province were also not included in the survey. Article content The initial removal occurred when the trade war started in early 2025. The dispute escalated again this year in mid-July, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced another round of tariffs, 50 per cent on a range of Canadian products, in retaliation for Canadian treatment of American alcohol, as well as ongoing sticking trade issues with automobiles and dairy. Article content The age of the…