Ford say he’ll talk to LCBO amid calls to sell off U.S. alcohol to benefit food banks

The Ontario Liberal Party is calling on the Ford government to sell off millions of dollars worth of U.S.-made liquor that could expire and donate it.

The Ontario Liberal Party is calling on the Ford government to sell off millions of dollars worth of U.S.-made liquor that could expire in storage and donate the proceeds to food banks, but the province says it is still exploring options for the products.

“We all agreed when we pulled American liquor off the shelves it was the right thing to do. We sent a message. It felt good. And you know, what would be even better is to do some good at home with that action, not just let this liquor collect dust in a warehouse,” the Liberals’ legislative leader John Fraser said during Question Period at Queen’s Park Wednesday.

The province has confirmed it has about $80 million worth of U.S. alcohol products in storage after pulling them off the shelves at the LCBO in March over U.S. trade aggression, with about $2 million worth set to expire in 2026.

Fraser called on Premier Doug Ford to instruct the LCBO to sell the surplus liquor and donate the proceeds to Ontario food banks.

But speaking with reporters, Ford said he would have to speak with the LCBO to see what they think about the idea.

“(Removing U.S. products) sends a clear message that until Donald Trump gets back and starts signing a deal, stops going after our manufacturing, going after our companies, going after our communities and families, we need to hit back at that. Simple,” Ford said.

In a statement, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said the government is still looking at options.

“In the face of President Trump’s tariffs taking direct aim at our economy, we directed the LCBO to remove U.S. made alcohol from their shelves,” Bethlenfalvy said. “U.S. alcohol will remain off shelves and is being held in storage until further notice. We are currently exploring options for the products.”

Responding for the government in Question Period, Peterborough–Kawartha MPP Dave Smith said selling off the booze would hurt local producers who have seen higher sales since U.S. products were removed.

“What we have seen since we took the American liquor off the shelf is a massive increase in sales in Canadian product,” Smith said. “Ontario in particular, 79 per cent increase in Ontario VQA wine alone.”

He said sales of local craft beer and cider have also climbed since U.S. booze was removed from store shelves.

But Don Valley West MPP Stephanie Bowman said other provinces have sold off their U.S. alcohol to benefit food banks and she pointed out the province has about $2 million worth of product that will expire in the next six or seven months.

“Basically, it will all be poured down the drain,” she said.

Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba and Nova Scotia have all said they will sell off their stores of U.S. alcohol to raise money for charities.