Canadian provinces are taking American alcoholic beverages off their shelves in response to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. In a move meant to push back against the 25 percent duties placed on Canadian products, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew shared a video online, mocking the president as he signed an official order banning U.S. alcohol from state-controlled liquor stores.
Imitating Trump’s signature style when issuing executive orders at the White House, Kinew theatrically announced, “This order, it’s a wonderful order, it’s a beautiful order.” His performance quickly caught attention on social media, with one Instagram user commenting, “Haha trolling trump? If so, love it. You’re just missing his signature sharpie lolz.”
In addition to this symbolic move, Canada has implemented its own countermeasures, placing 25 percent tariffs on American products. The decision to outright remove liquor from stores has sparked backlash from industry figures. Brown-Forman CEO Lawson Whiting, whose company produces Jack Daniel’s, criticized the approach, stating on a post-earnings call Wednesday that eliminating alcohol sales altogether is “worse than a tariff” and further remarking, “that’s a very disproportionate response to a 25 percent tariff.”
Trade between the two countries in alcoholic beverages is significant, with American exports of beer, wine, and spirits to Canada exceeding $763 million annually. Canadian alcohol imports to the U.S. are similarly valued, making this latest escalation another sign of mounting trade tensions between the neighboring nations.