A white hot trade war between Canada and the U.S. has renewed a push on the Prairies to put American booze down and elbows up.
In Saskatchewan, the Opposition NDP urged Premier Scott Moe to stop “pandering” to U.S. President Donald Trump and remove U.S. liquor again from provincial shelves.
“Donald Trump has made his choice, now Scott Moe needs to make his,” NDP trade critic Kim Breckner said Monday in Saskatoon.
“Scott Moe made a mistake.
“When he put American liquor back on Saskatchewan shelves — it was an act of cowardice.”
Talk of tariff retaliation resurfaced over the weekend as a renewed round of trade fighting between Canada and the U.S. exploded with talks collapsing and the Americans imposing 50 per cent tariffs on US$20 billion in Canadian goods. The list includes honey, hockey sticks and flower bulbs.
Prime Minister Mark Carney promised dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs starting Sept. 8.
Provinces have long curtailed U.S. booze on their shelves in response to earlier tariff fights with the Trump administration. Those battles have been waxing and waning for over a year.
In that time, Saskatchewan and Alberta, despite brief flirtations with booze bans, have chosen to keep American product on their shelves.
Over the weekend, Moe backed Carney’s plan to fight the new tariffs. He said on social media that U.S. demands, including conditions on Canada’s trade relationships with other nations, are beyond the pale and that he supports Carney’s promised dollar-for-dollar tariff retaliation.
Speaking to reporters Sunday, Moe said his Saskatchewan Party government would discuss how to approach American liquor, including considering a ban. But he qualified the remark.
“There are many other opportunities that provinces have as well when it comes to our relationship with American companies,” Moe said.
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In Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith said Saturday on her call-in radio show that her government has been focused on diplomacy, and she urged Canada and the U.S. to strike a deal.
Smith said she won’t be shifting the province’s booze policy and will leave it up to consumers.
“We believe also in choice,” she said.
“We trust that Albertans can make their own decisions, so we won’t be going down that track.”
Some customers interviewed at Alberta liquor stores Monday say their hearts — and wallets — are with the Maple Leaf.
At Calgary’s Willow Park Wines and Spirits, customer Jim Campbell bought a pack of Canadian-brewed Fat Tug ale.
“I wouldn’t want to be the next incoming president of the United States, because they’re going to have a hell of a mess to clean up,” Campbell said.
“Things will never be the same.”
He said U.S. alcohol should be pulled from Canadian store shelves.
“We should be hitting back as hard as they hit us,” he said. “Pull the energy, pull the potash, pull the electricity out of Ontario, which powers a million homes in Michigan.”
In Edmonton, Patricia Cej said since the trade war started with the United States, she has avoided buying American products, particularly alcohol.
“There are times when I go without berries and things like that, because I will not buy U.S. products,” Cej said at the Unity Square shopping plaza.
Erik Holmstrom, another Edmonton shopper, said he’s disappointed by the trade fight, given he likes to travel south of the border.
He said he has avoided buying American products for about two years to support homegrown operators.
“I don’t really drink that much. But if I’m buying gifts for people, I usually try to stick to Canadian products,” Holmstrom said.
In Manitoba, Premier Wab Kinew has long urged Carney to take a hard stand against the U.S. He has also directed his government for more than a year not to order U.S. liquor.
Last week, Kinew said he would put U.S. booze back on shelves if needed for a tariff deal, but would urge consumers to buy Canadian.
On Monday, his government said help is on the way.
Jamie Moses, minister of business, mining, trade and job creation, said Manitoba is waiting to hear from the federal government on its tariff-relief plan for businesses before announcing provincial supports.
“We have a menu of options,” Moses said.
— By The Canadian Press reporters Dayne Patterson and Bill Graveland in Calgary, Lisa Johnson and Daniela Germano in Edmonton and Brittany Hobson in Winnipeg
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