Manitoba’s premier has expressed a hesitant willingness to reintroduce American liquor as part of a possible trade agreement, but he added a caveat — “Don’t purchase it.”
Officials from Canada and the U.S. are engaged in discussions to finalize a trade arrangement that would prevent new U.S. tariffs on approximately $30 billion worth of Canadian products. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney and his team reviewed the potential agreement with his cabinet and provincial leaders.
Kinew mentioned that Carney requested provinces to restock American alcohol in stores, but Manitoba has yet to reach a consensus on this matter.
Should provinces decide to place U.S. products back on the shelves of Liquor Marts as part of a trade deal, Kinew emphasized that Canadians still have the choice to “leave it there.”
“Don’t buy it. Let it remain on the shelf … and choose Canadian products instead,” he advised reporters during a press conference in his office on Thursday.
“We need to convey that … we disapprove of Donald Trump’s trade tactics and how he treats Canada.”
In 2025, the province removed millions of dollars’ worth of U.S. alcohol in response to Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Canadian goods not meeting the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement standards.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew stated that his province has not yet agreed to reintroduce American alcohol, but if it does return as part of a trade deal, he encourages Canadians to refrain from purchasing it.
During December, Manitobans lined up to purchase American liquor for a short period, after the province brought some of its stockpile back to the shelves ahead of Christmas and donated $2.6 million in proceeds to charities during the holiday season.
U.S. wines and liqueurs expected to be lifted this fall were also made available in Liquor Marts in May.
Even with the availability of U.S. alcohol, Manitobans preferred local products, leading to nearly $21 million in year-over-year sales growth at the province’s Liquor Marts, according to the province’s statement in June.
Limited quantities of U.S. products were made available in select Manitoba Liquor Mart stores for public purchase in December and May. (Rudy Gauer/CBC)
Other Prairie provinces have reintroduced U.S. liquor long ago.
Alberta removed U.S. alcoholic beverages from its shelves in March 2025 but lifted the ban three months later, stating that the decision to resume selling U.S. products demonstrated a “renewed commitment to open and fair trade.”
Saskatchewan briefly imposed a ban in March 2025 but reversed its decision two months later.
‘Trump is very weak’
Kinew noted that Carney also requested premiers not to exclude the United States from their procurement strategies.
Since the onset of the trade conflict last year, Manitoba’s procurement policies have favored Canadian or non-American sources, resulting in an 82 percent year-over-year reduction in the province’s spending on U.S. companies, according to the premier.
“This has had a significant effect,” he remarked. “It’s evident why the Trump administration is approaching Canada for a deal.”
The leader of Manitoba’s Opposition claims that Kinew is not as supportive of local businesses as he asserts, suggesting that the 82 percent figure is exaggerated, as the province signed a $36-million contract with the American firm Aramark for food services in July 2025.
“The premier continues to allocate millions to American companies,” Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan remarked to CBC News.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has stated that he perceives U.S. President Donald Trump as ‘very weak’ and believes he is ‘about to face a significant loss in the midterms,’ asserting that Canada holds an advantageous position in trade discussions.
Kinew revealed that Carney indicated to the premiers that if U.S. alcohol doesn’t return to store shelves, a trade agreement with the Trump administration would not materialize.
“I wouldn’t describe it as begging, but what comes before begging?”
While awaiting more details regarding the agreement, including specifics on tariffs for steel and aluminum, Kinew expressed his desire for “the tariffs to be eliminated.”
He mentioned that support for workers, particularly at facilities such as the Gerdau steel mill in Selkirk, Manitoba, will likely be necessary for the province to agree to the proposed terms.
He criticized Trump as erratic, irresponsible, and untrustworthy, questioning the durability of any agreement.
“Who’s to say it won’t be reversed?” Kinew asked. “With that in mind, we maintain the right to remove U.S. alcohol from the shelves once again.”
He stated that Canada should advocate for a more favorable agreement.
“I believe Donald Trump is indeed weak. I think America is less powerful globally today than it was a year prior. He’s on the verge of being decisively defeated in the midterms,” he asserted.
“I feel we possess the advantage. They are currently on the defensive. They are approaching us for a deal, and thus, I think we should stand our ground.”
Kinew further indicated that he does not anticipate being content with any agreement that might be finalized.
“However, it’s not just about me; it’s about Team Canada — what we’ve been emphasizing for the past year and a half since all this tariff chaos began.”
Kinew’s remarks deemed ‘nonsensical’ by winemaker
A winemaker from California and a Winnipeg native expressed that Kinew should not generalize all U.S. alcohol.
“It’s simply nonsensical because he’s not differentiating where the alcohol originates from in the U.S.,” said Steve Matthiasson, owner of Matthiasson Wines in Napa, California, in an interview with CBC News on Thursday.
“California winemakers are not the issue here. We are allies.”
His business experienced a 15 to 20 percent drop in exports after Canadian provinces removed American products from their shelves. The vineyard produces approximately 120,000 bottles of wine annually, distributing them across the U.S. and in two dozen countries worldwide, Matthiasson noted.
The trade conflict has rendered it “extremely challenging to plan” and has resulted in downsizing his workforce and fewer upgrades to infrastructure, he explained.
“It’s incredibly frustrating and disheartening to be unable to export wine back to my homeland,” Matthiasson stated. “As a Canadian, I empathize deeply with the frustrations Canadians feel regarding this U.S. trade policy.”
Reactions were varied when CBC News interviewed individuals outside a Liquor Mart in Winnipeg’s Osborne Village area on Thursday.
Brian Mann described it as a “wise move” for Carney to make concessions regarding American liquor.
“When negotiating with someone like Trump, concessions are necessary,” he stated to CBC News.
“Making that concession, knowing that Canadians are determined to support local products, is probably a smart strategy. Most of us won’t buy it.”
Mann did not pay much attention to the origins of his purchases prior to the trade conflict, but that has changed; he now supports Kinew’s initiative to buy local.
“I wouldn’t even buy celery that comes from the United States.”
Brian Mann believes that Canadians will refrain from purchasing American liquor even if it returns to Liquor Marts. (Alicia Wang/CBC)
Tobiah Markovitz, who was raised in Minnesota before relocating to Manitoba, remarked that many Minnesota businesses depend on trade with Canadian provinces.
“I genuinely hope this leads to improved relations between the two sides because numerous individuals rely on both nations maintaining a positive relationship.”
Jaydin Pommer noted that the absence of American products in Liquor Marts has benefited local distilleries working to meet demand.
“It’s been wonderful to see more local options emerging,” she stated.