‘Blame Trump’: Ontario removes U.S. products from LCBO shelves in response to tariffs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province is implementing retaliatory measures against U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs by removing all U.S. alcohol products from LCBO store shelves.

Ford’s office confirmed that he directed the LCBO this morning to stop selling American alcohol.

The LCBO website says it was “temporarily unavailable while we remove U.S. products in response to tariffs on Canadian goods.” In-store customer service remains unaffected.

“As part of Ontario’s response strategy to U.S. tariffs, the government of Ontario has directed LCBO to take operational steps to implement restrictions on all U.S. beverage alcohol sales and related imports into Ontario, effective immediately,” an LCBO spokesperson said in an email to CityNews.

“LCBO has ceased the purchase of all U.S. products, retail customers are no longer able to purchase U.S. products on lcbo.com and the LCBO app, and wholesale customers, including grocery and convenience stores, bars, restaurants, and other retailers, are no longer able to place orders of U.S. products online.”

Spirits, wine, cider, beer, ready-to-drink coolers/cocktails, and non-alcoholic products produced in the U.S. will no longer be available in LCBO stores or Convenience Outlets.

Ford said Monday that the LCBO buys about $1 billion of U.S. alcohol yearly. Effective immediately, Ontario businesses, such as restaurants and bars, won’t be able to restock American alcohol products.

“[American business owners] only have Donald Trump to blame,” Ford said at Tuesday’s press conference. “We need to be ready to escalate.

“Canada and Ontario did not start this fight. We want to work with our American allies, not against them… The coming days and weeks will be hard; businesses and families will feel the pain of this needless fight,” Ford continued.

Ontario’s premier also appeared on CNN on Tuesday morning, addressing the latest round of tariffs.

“I will use every tool in our toolbox to send a message to Donald Trump that this is the wrong thing to do,” Ford said on CNN. “[Canadians] are livid. We look at the United States as our family… We love the American people, but unfortunately, the President has gone sideways.”

Ontario will slap export tax on electricity it supplies to U.S. if tariffs continue: Ford

Ford told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that the province will slap a 25 per cent export tax on the electricity it sends to the U.S. Ford told the news publication that if Trump proceeds with additional tariffs on April 2, he will instruct the province’s energy producers to halt exports entirely.

“We will not hesitate to shut off their power as well,” Ford later confirmed.

Ford was among the Canadian premiers that made a similar promise regarding U.S. alcohol products in February when news of Trump’s tariffs first emerged, initially intended to come on Feb. 2. Those measures were paused after Trump put the tariffs on hold until March 3.

“If [Trump] takes away the tariffs, we’ll restock the shelves,” Ford said.

Ontario and Ford also announced and reiterated that the province is ripping up a $100-million deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to deliver high-speed internet to remote areas via Starlink satellite technology. 

“It’s done. The Starlink deal is gone,” the premier added.

Trump said yesterday he’ll put 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods starting Tuesday.

Trump has framed the tariffs as his way of tackling his concerns about security at American borders, including the flow of fentanyl. U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics show less than one per cent of all fentanyl seized comes from the northern border.

When Trump was last President, he imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on imports of Canadian steel and 10 per cent on aluminum.

Canada retaliated with 10 per cent duties on its own basket of goods, including American whiskey and bourbon.