Ban on Alcohol for US Citizens Enforced by BC Now Includes Residents from all States, not Just GOP ones

March 11, 2025 TruthUSA

B.C. Premier David Eby has announced that all U.S. alcohol is coming off store shelves “effective immediately” in response to U.S. tariffs.

Eby made the announcement on March 10.

It expands a decision he made on March 4 to remove U.S. alcohol that comes from Republican states.

The move followed similar ones in other provinces after President Donald Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on most Canadian imports, and a 10 percent tariff on energy.

“Last week, we took ‘red state’ liquor off our shelves in a targeted move. In the face of ongoing threats, including to Canada’s dairy and lumber industries, we are expanding the list of targeted American products,” Eby said in a statement.

Eby said the BC Liquor Distribution Branch will no longer be purchasing U.S. products.

The move was “effective immediately,” according a March 10 social media post by Eby.

He said it presented a good opportunity to sample Canadian products.

“I encourage those who enjoy Napa Valley wines to enjoy the many award winners from the Okanagan Valley. British Columbia distillers produce many distinguished spirits, while we also brew popular domestic and delicious craft beers,” Eby said in the statement.

He also said his government would be introducing legislation this week to address the “unprecedented threats” from the United States.

The association of local wine producers welcomed the move.

“This decision puts the interests of BC’s wine industry front and center. It’s particularly important as our wineries are still recovering from the devastating cold snap of January 2024, which caused significant damage to our vineyards,” said Paul Sawler, chair of Wine Growers BC.

Mark Sheridan from Hester Creek Estate Winery said they were seeing an increase in demand for B.C. wines.

“By removing U.S. wine from the shelves, BC Liquor Stores can provide local BC wineries with a fair opportunity to meet demand and recover from the challenges of the past year,” he said in a statement.

The Alliance of Beverage Licensees said while local products can be used to replace most U.S. ones, there is no direct substitute for bourbon.

“We’ve got Bourbon-style whiskeys that we can produce in Canada, but those are often produced by craft distillers, so those products are probably going to be a little bit more expensive,” said Jeff Guignard, executive director of the Alliance of Beverage Licensees.

B.C.’s distribution branch said it would continue to make U.S. products available for wholesale by restaurants and bars until the inventory is gone.

Trump has said the tariffs on lumber and dairy are retaliatory for ones that Canada has on U.S. imports, saying Canada has a 250 percent tariff on dairy products.

Canada’s dairy, chicken, and turkey industry has a supply management system that sets prices for the products to provide stability for Canadian industries and consumers.

Trump said the 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports were imposed because Canada has not done enough to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants from crossing the border.

The president has paused the tariffs on items that fall under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement until April 2, saying he did it to help Canada as well as Mexico, which is facing similar tariffs from the United States.

Trump has also ordered his officials to review existing trade deals and recommend additional retaliatory tariffs by April 2.

On March 12, U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum products coming from all countries, including Canada, are set to begin.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.

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