Doug Ford no longer says the tariffs have to disappear before he’ll put American booze back on Ontario shelves. Partial relief could do it, the premier signaled Thursday, so long as Ontario’s steel, auto, and forestry industries come out protected.
Ford made the comments during an unrelated event in Guelph, Ontario, saying that with steel, auto, forestry, agricultural, and manufacturing sectors protected — tacking on Quebec’s aluminum sector as well — “we’d be more than happy to bring booze back on shelves.”
Canadian negotiators were still in Washington chasing an agreement before the threatened 50% levy on an estimated US$20 billion in Canadian exports kicks in on August 19.
Liquor sales fall under provincial jurisdiction, so any deal that includes lifting the bans needs the premiers themselves on side — not just Ford, but British Columbia’s David Eby, Manitoba’s Wab Kinew, and others.
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Quebec’s Christine Fréchette floated nearly the same terms days earlier, saying she was “ready to consider” bringing US alcohol back if Washington eased pressure on forestry, aluminum, and manufacturing — though she kept the province’s language laws and dairy rules off the table entirely.
British Columbia, by contrast, has refused outright.
It’s a marked change in tone for Ford, who as recently as April said flatly, “American alcohol will only go back on shelves when the U.S. removes its tariffs,” adding that he didn’t trust Trump to follow through on any deal. Even a week ago, he was still insisting the US remove its auto and steel tariffs altogether, not just ease them, before the ban would lift.
Flashback: Ford Won’t Budge on US Alcohol Ban Until Tariffs Drop
