B.C. has pulled red state liquor from the shelves in response to Trump’s tariff

VANCOUVER — Liquor from U.S. Republican states is off store shelves in British Columbia in the first act of retaliation Premier David Eby has promised to tariffs announced by the United States.

Walking around a B.C. liquor store in Vancouver on Sunday afternoon, it’s easy to notice many shelves are left empty with signs reading “Buy Canadian Instead” sitting on these lone shelves, reminding people about the ongoing trade war with the closest neighbour.

Eby is pulling popular “red-state” American booze, including Jack Daniels whiskey and Bacardi rum, from the shelves in response to the U.S. imposing 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian imports starting Tuesday.

The move came after U.S. President Donald Trump signed executive orders Saturday to slap Canada with duties of 10 per cent on energy and 25 per cent on everything else.

B.C. Conservative Party Leader John Rustad said on Sunday that the devastation these tariffs are going to pose to B.C.’s economy is “immeasurable,” but he said it’s “absolutely ridiculous” to think Eby’s countermeasures would add any pressure at all on to the Americans.

“All that will do is piss them off and risk them going even harder against us,” Rustad said.

Eby launched a series of measures responding to the tariffs coming Tuesday, including directing the BC Liquor Distribution Branch to immediately stop buying American liquor from “red states,” as well as directing Crown corporations to stop buying American goods and services.

The BC Liquor Distribution Branch sent a letter to all industry associations on Feb. 1, saying they support the provincial and federal government decisions and actions in response to the tariffs.

The Branch said in a statement that effective immediately, it has halted the generation of import purchase orders of U.S.-made liquor products manufactured in Republican states.

It said on-hand inventory of the top five selling brands, specifically their products manufactured in the U.S. states under Republican leadership, will be put on hold and unavailable for customers, these products include brands of Jack Daniels, Bacardi Rum, Titos Vodka, Jim Beam and Bulleit Bourbon.

Eby said on Saturday that he had a particular experience early on in his drinking career with Jack Daniels although that’s not his drink of choice.

He said for British Columbians who like to drink Jack Daniels, he wants them to be able to get it.

“But the reality is that there are jurisdictions in the state that are supporting this trade war against us, that are supporting these tariffs against us,” Eby said.

He said the province is trying to send a message out to specific decision makers in U.S. that we’re interconnected and tied with each other.

“Decisions that you make about us also affect you and that’s what we’re trying to achieve here,” Eby said.

B.C. Minister of Housing Ravi Khalon, who is also chair of the cabinet committee leading the province’s tariff response, said on Sunday from a B.C. Liquor store that they targeted red states because “quite frankly, Donald Trump doesn’t care about Democratic States.”

“We want to make sure that we’re not punishing states that have nothing to do with this. We’re wanting to make sure that we’re very targeted in our response, because we don’t want to inflict more harm on families that cross the border than we necessarily have to,” Kahlon said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who attended the Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown in Vancouver on Sunday, said he is condemning Trump’s “massive unjustified tariffs” which will damage both American and Canadian economies.

Poilievre said he is also urging the Liberal government to put aside partisan interests and recall Parliament.

“It is insane that in this great crisis, Parliament is shut down to deal with crisis and power struggle within the Liberal party,” Poilievre said.

Trudeau prorogued Parliament in early January to allow his party to choose a new leader to replace him. The Liberal leadership will be decided March 9 but the House of Commons isn’t scheduled to return until March 24.

Poilievre also proposed retaliating “dollar for dollar” by targeting industries that will have a maximum affect the United States while harming Canadian consumers as little as possible.

Meanwhile, B.C. politicians are calling on the premier to do more as the province prepares to face U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods as well as retaliation by Ottawa.

Rustad said his party has laid out a 10-point tariff response plan and is urging the NDP government to immediately put it in place to protect B.C.’s economy.

In a letter to Eby, Rustad lists some of the measures in his plan, including negotiating an agreement to remove interprovincial trade barriers, cutting the carbon tax and reopening B.C. trade offices in foreign countries.

City of Surrey mayor Brenda Locke said she wrote to Eby Sunday morning urging him to implement tax cuts and roll out a comprehensive relief package, similar to what was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, to support businesses and families.

Locke said Surrey has the largest border crossings on the West Coast and over 20 per cent of Surrey businesses have direct trade ties with the U.S. and the tariff leaves the city in a vulnerable situation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2025.

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press