The Saskatchewan NDP says if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through with tariffs on Canadian goods next week, one way to retaliate is by pulling all American beer and liquor off store shelves.
Several provinces have already done that, including Ontario and B.C.
Trump has said that a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods will start on Tuesday and a doubled tariff equalling 50 per cent on steel and aluminum will follow shortly. A lesser 10 per cent tariff is expected to be applied to Canadian energy products as well.
Removing foreign liquor products from shelves is something the Saskatchewan government has done in the past. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the province decided that all Russian alcohol would be banned from shelves province wide. Although, Russian imports are not as common as those from the U.S.
NDP leader Carla Beck said many Republican states export a substantial amount of liquor to Canada.
“Often, republican led states what they export to Canada in terms of liquor is of huge impact to those economies, and we have seen that kind of pressure be effective and that’s one of the tools that we are looking at here,” she said.
The NDP also called for new investments in pipelines, rail and power along with the government prioritizing Saskatchewan steel manufacturers.
In an emailed statement to CTV News, the province said that its focus remains on avoiding tariffs by engaging with U.S. officials.
“That is why Premier Scott Moe has been prioritizing being in Washington D.C. – to de-escalate the conversation about tariffs and reiterate the fact tariffs will hurt both of our economies. We continue working to find a path forward that would remove tariffs, boost the economy and strengthen our continental food and energy security,” the statement reads.
