Tariffs: Quebec liquor board prepares to destroy $300,000 worth of American alcohol

The Quebec liquor board may be forced to destroy $300,000 worth of American alcohol that the province has banned from stores.

The provincial government on March 4 ordered the state-owned corporation to empty shelves of U.S. alcohol in response to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

At the time, other provinces including Ontario and Alberta directed their liquor regulators to stop buying all American alcohol, while B.C. banned liquor from “red states” that voted for Trump in the 2024 election.

U.S. alcohol purchased before the boycott is being stored, but Quebec’s liquor board says that unless the government changes its guidelines it will have to destroy some products when they expire.

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The corporation says the affected products are mainly rosé and boxed wines, ready-to-drink cocktails, and certain beers and liqueurs not suitable for prolonged storage.

The liquor board says the $300,000 worth of stock represents only a small portion of the $27 million of American products in storage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025.