Albertans continue to buy local after the province lifted ban on US liquor

Canada | Ahead of the G7 summit (16–17 June), which was hosted by Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney in Kananaskis, Alberta, the province of Alberta lifted its embargo on American liquor imports. The move was meant to smooth negotiations for a new Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement. The Saskatchewan liquor board similarly relented and said on 11 June that it will start buying and distributing American booze to retailers again.

With a population of under 5 million people, Alberta is the fourth most populated province in Canada. Saskatchewan has 1.25 million inhabitants. A total of 41 million people live in Canada.

When the import ban took effect on 6 March, Alberta and other provinces sought to push back against US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian exports, including Canadian exports like steel, aluminium and cars. The province-owned liquor stores were told to focus on Canadian products and consumers to “buy local.”

Canada disunited

The move to lift the embargo is consistent with Alberta’s quest for independence. Alberta, as the heart of Canada’s oil and gas industry, has frequently clashed with the national government over energy and environmental regulations, which it views as unfairly targeting Alberta’s economy. Although the current Alberta Premier, Danielle Smith, has ruled out outright secession, embraced by just a minority of Albertans in polls, she recently laid the legal groundwork for a possible referendum in 2026.

Some observers moaned that at the very moment Canada needs to be united, Alberta not only lifted the embargo on US alcohol but also put the question of independence back on the table.

Federal tariffs still apply

Since the lifting of the ban, retailers in Alberta have restocked their shelves with spirits from south of the border, however, not like they used to. Kentucky bourbon is still popular, yet sales of American wines have dropped massively.

Some retailers told Canadian media that people who made the shift to non-American liquor have shown no interest in dashing back to the US aisle, especially since the federal 25 percent tariff on imports continues to apply.

However, the premiers of Ontario and Nova Scotia said on 10 June that they will not be ordering provincial liquor stores to restock alcohol from the United States. Ontario has a population of 16 million people, Nova Scotia of 1 million. The Ontario government estimates that CAD 1 billion (USD 730 million) worth of US alcohol was sold by the monopolist liquor chain LCBO in 2024, across 3600 different products.