A trade dispute between Canada and the US has increased, several Canadian provinces have pulled American-made liquor from store shelves. This step is a direct response to the Trump administration’s 25% tariff on Canadian goods. Lawson Whiting, CEO, a company behind Jack Daniel, has condemned Canadian vengeance, called it “inequality” for “tariff worse” and US Levi.
“I mean, it is worse than a tariff, as it is truly taking your sales away, completely removing our products from the shelves,” Whiting said.
One of the world’s largest liquor buyers, the liquor control board of Ontario on Tuesday removed the American-made drink from its shelves. Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed that LCBO sells about 1 billion $ 1 billion liquor annually, stressing that all these products are now away from shelves. The status of LCBO’s exclusive wholesaler in Ontario means that other retailers, bar and restaurants in the province can no longer restore American products.
Canada has retaliated against American tariffs with its own 25% levy on American goods including beer, spirit and wine. Some provinces such as Ontario and Nova Scotia have taken additional measures. Business stress has led to a nationalist spirit among Canadian people, with the option of purchasing local products rather than some American products.
Whiting admitted that the Canada is only 1% of the total sales of the company, making the impact of trade disputes manageable. However, the company is also monitoring development in Mexico, which was 7% of its sales in 2024 and has also been affected by the US tariff.
The trade dispute has drawn strong reactions from Canadian leaders. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized the American tariff, asked him “to do a very dumb work”. He also accused President Trump of demanding to reduce Canada’s economy. Canadian Foreign Minister Melani Jolie Jolie has expressed concern over Trump’s comments about making Canada the 51st US state, “very seriously”.
