British Columbia is raising a glass to homegrown spirits and telling the U.S. to keep its “watery beer.” Premier David Eby announced Monday that all American alcohol—beer, wine, and beyond—is getting the boot from government liquor stores, escalating a trade war retaliation sparked by U.S. tariffs.
The move expands an earlier ban targeting liquor from Trump-voting “red states” to now cover every bottle from south of the border. Eby, speaking from Victoria, pointed to mounting U.S. threats—new tariffs on Canadian dairy, lumber probes, and even wild talk of redrawing borders and claiming Canadian water—as the tipping point.
“If President Trump wants our water so badly, he can start with his own weak brews,” Eby quipped, unveiling the sweeping ban. “British Columbians don’t even want American products on our shelves anymore—and I’m with them.”
The order went out Monday: B.C.’s Liquor Distribution Branch is yanking U.S. booze from stores and halting all purchases until the White House backs off its tariff threats. Napa Valley wine lovers? Eby’s got a pitch: “Try Okanagan vintages or our top-notch craft beers instead.”
Originally, B.C. spared liquor from Democratic states, whose leaders had Canada’s back. But with trade tensions boiling over—and locals firing off emails demanding a stronger stance—the province went all-in. “This is what British Columbians are asking for,” Eby said. “It’s a message to the U.S.: we’re done.”
The strategy still zeroes in on Trump’s turf. B.C. is fast-tracking laws to slap fees on U.S. commercial trucks rumbling through to Alaska, a jab at Republican strongholds. “We’re targeting the ones hurting Canadian and American families,” Eby explained.
He’s walking the talk at home, too. Eby’s family scrapped a $1,000 Disneyland trip, opting out of U.S. travel amid the spat. “Telling the kids wasn’t easy—we Googled other Disneys—but we’re not crossing the border anytime soon,” he admitted.
B.C.’s also mulling a tax on U.S. thermal coal shipped through Vancouver, a plan Eby’s floated with PM Justin Trudeau. But he’s mindful of blowback—truckers and longshore workers are already nervous about jobs. “Ottawa’s promised to use any revenue to soften the hit,” he said, urging the feds to weigh workers’ concerns.
From craft beer to coal, B.C.’s drawing a line in the sand—or the liquor aisle. As the tariff saga unfolds, one thing’s clear: American booze won’t be invited to the party.