Ontario Premier Doug Ford Stands His Ground Against Proposed US Alcohol Investigation

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, left, announce the Northern Shield pipeline proposal in Calgary, Canada, Monday, July 6, 2026. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is taking a firm stance against a U.S. proposal that promises to investigate his province’s ongoing boycott of American-made alcohol. It’s the latest in an on-again, off-again war of words between Ford and American officials, who have urged their Canadian counterparts to return over $1 billion worth of alcohol to local liquor store shelves.

“U.S. tariffs are threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadian workers, including here in Ontario,” Ford wrote in an X post on Tuesday.

“We won’t back down. The fastest and only way to get U.S. alcohol back on Ontario shelves is for the U.S. to drop its illegal tariffs on Canada.”

On Monday, Republican congresswoman Claudia Tenney introduced the Combatting Attacks on our National Alcoholic Drinks Act, referred to as the CANADA Act. If passed, the legislation would investigate whether Canada’s provincial booze boycott violates Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Canada may be punished with further tariffs or import restrictions if the investigation determines wrongdoing.

“Canadian provinces cannot be allowed to hold American wineries, breweries, and distilleries hostage and attempt to ransom them,” Tenney said in a news release. “Nearly all of Canada’s provincial liquor boards have unfairly targeted U.S. producers and harmed hardworking American businesses due to unrelated policy issues.”

Though Ford is not solely responsible for the alcohol ban, he’s long taken on the role of its figurehead.

Ford was the first premier to order a boycott of American-made alcohol in early 2025, shortly after the Trump administration proposed a 25% tariff on Canadian goods. Ford’s decision set off a domino effect. Partial or full American booze bans are currently in place in all of Canada’s provinces except Alberta and Saskatchewan, a move that plunged American spirits exports to the country by 85% in a single quarter, according to the Distilled Spirits Council.

Not only is Ford the boycott’s most vocal proponent, but also its biggest financial heavyweight. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is one of the world’s largest buyers of alcohol, distributing wine, beer and spirits to nearly 40% of Canada’s population and generating an annual revenue of over $7 billion. Prior to the ban, the LCBO reportedly bought $1 billion worth of American alcohol per year.

The now year-and-a-half-long boycott has turned into a stroke of good luck for Canadian producers, who have seen sales figures increase by double-digit margins in Ontario. The American alcohol industry hasn’t been quite as keen on the turn of events, and has repeatedly lobbied the government for a quick end to the trade war.

“Congressional attention to Canadian provincial restrictions on American alcoholic beverages is both timely and warranted,” American Whiskey Association CEO Michael Bilello wrote in a public statement.

“AWA appreciates Congresswoman Tenney’s efforts to raise awareness of the impact these restrictions have had on American whiskey, as well as other actions by policymakers and stakeholders aimed at resolving this issue and restoring fair market access.”