# Why is Canada pulling American alcohol off the shelves? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 5, 2025, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180 "2025-03-05T22:57:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/1 "2025-03-05T22:57:11Z")
I get not ordering MORE alcohol. But why pull the stuff that’s already been paid for? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/2 "2025-03-05T22:59:23Z")
To make the very visible point that we are extremely upset. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/3 "2025-03-05T23:03:09Z")
Because it is tainted so to speak. And the liquor doesn’t go bad anyway, not like beer. Not sure, but I would suspect that Bud Light and other American beers were never that popular in Canada to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/4 "2025-03-05T23:06:56Z")
Because any self respecting Canadian would take their business to a store with no American booze on display. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/5 "2025-03-05T23:13:26Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > And the liquor doesn’t go bad anyway, not like beer. Not sure, but I would suspect that Bud Light and other American was never that popular in Canada to begin with. Oh sure, Bud is popular. It’s cheap soda pop beer, that stuff is popular everywhere in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/6 "2025-03-05T23:30:09Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Bud is popular. And [Budweiser is brewed in Canada](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/labatt-proudly-making-canada-s-favourite-beers-in-canada-838210316.html). ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/7 "2025-03-05T23:39:01Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > To make the very visible point that we are extremely upset. And to make it even more visible, they’re putting signs on the empty shelves explaining the situation. I’m sure they’ll fill them eventually, but in this moment, _they’re making a point._ ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/8 "2025-03-06T00:16:45Z")
In many provinces, the liquor stores are run by the provincial government, so they have the resources to pull the liquor off the shelves. Plus, it may well be a smart marketing move. Do you want to be the liquor store that gets boycotted by Canadians because you’re siding with the Yankees for money? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/9 "2025-03-06T00:19:56Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I get not ordering MORE alcohol. But why pull the stuff that’s already been paid for? Because you’re either selling American booze or you’re not. There’s stuff on the shelves, there’s stuff in the back of every store, there’s stuff in regional warehouses, there’s stuff in the central warehouse, there’s stuff that’s been ordered that’s in the supply pipeline – where do you draw the line? You’re either selling it or you’re not. I’m fine with “not”. The LCBO is the world’s largest single buyer of alcohol in the world. Last year it imported $965 million worth comprising 3,600 American liquor products from 36 states. I see from a recent article that the CEO of Brown Forman, the manufacturer of Jack Daniels, is whining about how unfair this is. Tough shit. We didn’t start this. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/10 "2025-03-06T00:22:23Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > The LCBO is the world’s largest single buyer of alcohol in the world. Last year it imported $965 million worth comprising 3,600 American liquor products from 36 states. I see from a recent article that the CEO of Brown Forman, the manufacturer of Jack Daniels, is whining about how unfair this is. Tough shit. We didn’t start this. In fairness, he also called for no tariffs. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/11 "2025-03-06T00:23:57Z")
If we’re talking fairness, did he campaign for Biden and Harris and against Trump’s proposals for high tariffs? If he supported Trump in the election, he got what he wanted. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/12 "2025-03-06T00:32:01Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > In many provinces, the liquor stores are run by the provincial government, so they have the resources to pull the liquor off the shelves. In Alberta, liquor stores are private (this I know), but the province is the sole importer (this I think). Anyway, on tonight’s news, the province announced that it would no longer be importing American alcohol, as long as Trump’s tariffs are in place. No word on what the private stores are expected to do, but since many are small independents, I imagine they’ll sell what stock they do have, to recoup what they paid. But I can see the bigger chains removing American products immediately. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/13 "2025-03-06T00:33:31Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > If he supported Trump in the election, he got what he wanted. “I never thought the leopards would eat _my_ face!” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/14 "2025-03-06T00:35:31Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > “I never thought the leopards would eat _my_ face!” I bet his face tastes like whiskey. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/15 "2025-03-06T00:44:09Z")
Looks like Brown-Forman leans Democrat. [https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/brown-forman-corp/recipients?id=D000000305](https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/brown-forman-corp/recipients?id=D000000305) ---
**Author:** ![natureboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@natureboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/natureboy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/16 "2025-03-06T00:47:37Z")
It’s the principle. Canadians value more than just more revenue; they value their dignity and self-respect. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/17 "2025-03-06T01:07:56Z")
The company that brews it is Labatts, which is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Molsons, proud brewer of Canadian beer–that’s the name–is part of Molson Coors. Buying a beer from a Canadian company is not as easy as one might think. Go local, is the best plan. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/18 "2025-03-06T01:11:54Z")
> [@Kropotkin](#): > > Go local, is the best plan. Yes, go with local craft breweries, especially since they’re currently under threat by various factors, including the effects of tariffs on the cost of aluminum cans. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/19 "2025-03-06T01:12:58Z")
Well, remember, “glass is class!” Though it’s harder to find bottled beer, granted. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180/20 "2025-03-06T01:44:20Z")
> [@Kropotkin](#): > > Though it’s harder to find bottled beer, granted. I dunno where you live but bottled beer is a rather easy find here. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-canada-pulling-american-alcohol-off-the-shelves/1015180.md?page=2)