People don’t want American alcohol back on Ontario shelves, poll suggests

Despite a recent plea from a United States senator to overturn a booze ban that’s adversely affecting California wines and a Republican congresswoman calling for an investigation into Canadian provinces’ decision to hold firm amid a tense trade war, poll respondents are largely in favour of keeping American liquor off Ontario shelves.

A recent poll conducted by INsauga.com asked respondents whether they think it’s time for Ontario to reverse course on its ban on booze originating from south of the border and 80 per cent of respondents said no.

Only 20 per cent of the 5,227 votes suggested it’s time to reverse the ban.

Provincial liquor boards stopped purchasing American alcohol last year in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats of annexation. While Saskatchewan and Alberta have returned American booze to the shelves, major purchasing provinces like Ontario and Quebec have not resumed stocking U.S. alcohol.

This week, California senator Adam Schiff asked the provinces holding out on the ban to rethink their approach amid the trade war, saying that Canada’s boycott of California wine is causing “devastating harm to winegrowers.”

“I’m urging the Canadian government to recognize that California doesn’t agree with these tariff wars, to lift these restrictions, and increase consumer options to strengthen both our economies,” Schiff wrote on X. 

Schiff isn’t the only American pushing for an end to the ban. 

Recently, New York congresswoman Claudia Tenney announced she is introducing legislation to compel the United States Trade Representative to investigate Canadian provinces that are not purchasing American alcohol.

In a news release, Tenney said she will introduce the Combating Attacks on our National Alcoholic Drinks by Allies Act — or CANADA Act — today to prompt an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

She says Canadian provinces cannot be allowed to hold American wineries, breweries, and distilleries hostage and attempt to ransom them. 

U.S. ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra also spoke out against the ban on The Food Professor podcast, telling hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois that the U.S. purchases over 90 per cent of Canadian spirit exports, so seeing 11 out of 13 provinces upholding the ban “seems backwards” to him. 

“Now, that’s kind of backwards to me. Canadians can explain that logic to me. I can’t understand it. That we buy, you know, 93 per cent of your exports and you ban ours,” he told the hosts. 

Last year, reports emerged that suggest the ban on American alcohol has been a boon for Canadian booze.

Last summer, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Ontario wine sales were up 67 per cent. In the three months that followed the ban, Ontario and Canadian-made alcohol sales were up 19 per cent at the LCBO, figures provided by the Ontario finance minister show.

Doug Ford told reporters in Washington last month he would welcome back American alcohol once the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade is renewed.

– With files from The Canadian Press

Poll disclaimer: This poll reflects the views of participating readers and is not a scientific sample. Participation was voluntary and limited to the publication’s audience.