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It’s hard to blame Canada for taking exception to the tariffs the United States has levied against products being imported from its neighbor to the north. The country didn’t waste any time responding, and a number of provinces have retaliated by banning the sale of alcohol that’s made in America.
Donald Trump pledged to kick off a trade war with the help of the tariffs he said he’d deploy if he was elected president, and he did exactly that last weekend when China, Mexico, and Canada were officially hit with them thanks to the executive order that was signed on Saturday
As things currently stand, products from Canada will be hit with a 25% premium (that number is 10% for energy resources). Prime Minister Justin Trudeau swiftly retaliated by announcing his government would be responding in kind with a 25% tariff that will apply to more than $100 billion worth of goods originating in the United States, which includes basically every type of alcohol produced in the country.
However, some provinces have opted to take even more extreme measures in an attempt to send a message
According to The Independent, American booze will soon be incredibly scarce in a solid chunk of Canada thanks to regulators who’ve opted to ban the sale of alcohol that can trace its roots to the United States.
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario, which purchases nearly $1 billion worth of beer, wine, liquor, and other alcoholic drinks made in the United States each year, announced an “indefinite” halt to purchases and sales, with Nova Scotia, Quebec, and British Columbia all deciding to follow suit in some fashion.
The last province on that list has taken a somewhat unique approach, as the CBC reports it will be targeting red states whose electoral votes went to Trump in the most recent election; that most notably includes Kentucky and Tennessee, with the former responsible for producing 95% of the world’s bourbon supply and the latter the home of the Jack Daniels distillery (among other smaller operations).
Canadian fans have already started booing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at NBA and NHL games, and they’ll have plenty of motivation to keep doing so based on how things are currently trending.