Canadian Boycott Of U.S. Spirits Hurts Broader Alcohol Sales

American alcohol exports to Canada have dropped sharply due to a provincial boycott of U.S. spirits amid an ongoing trade war, according to a Canadian liquor trade group, Jenny McCall reported for Yahoo Finance.

Several Canadian provinces pulled U.S. spirits from liquor stores in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of a 25% tariff on certain imports.

Sales of U.S. spirits in Canada fell 66.3% between March 5—when provinces announced they would stop carrying the products in retail stores—and the end of April, according to an analysis by Spirits Canada. Reuters also reported the findings.

The group, which represents Canadian manufacturers and marketers of distilled spirits, said total spirits sales in Canada declined 12.8% during the same period.

“The North American spirits sector is highly interconnected, and the immediate and continued removal of all U.S. spirits products from Canadian shelves is deeply problematic for spirits producers on both sides of the border,” said Cal Bricker, president and CEO of Spirits Canada.

Several Canadian provinces pulled U.S. spirits from liquor stores in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of a 25% tariff on certain imports.