B.C. bans all U.S. alcohol at government stores, wine and beer included, in response to Trump tariffs

In response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and annexation threats, alcohol from Canada's southern neighbour is now a thing of the past in B.C.'s government-run liquor stores.

On Monday, B.C. Premier David Eby announced the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch had stopped purchasing American beer, wine and liquor and has removed existing stock from its shelves. 

"We're doing this for a couple of reasons," said Eby from a store in Victoria's James Bay neighbourhood on Monday. 

"One is to respond to the escalating threats that we're seeing from the United States. The other is to recognize the feeling that many British Columbians have now when we look at American products. We don't even want to see them on the shelf anymore."

The government branch operates 198 liquor stores across the province and serves more than 36 million retail customers per year, according to the B.C. Liquor website.

Last week, the province removed American alcohol that originated in so-called red states — which voted for Trump's Republican party —  from store shelves.

'Keep his watery beer'

Eby said an escalation was required with Trump's threats to B.C.'s dairy and lumber industries and "musings" about Canada's border, water resources and sovereignty.

"Now the reaction of many British Columbians, myself included, is if the president so interested in Canadian water, then we're gonna help him out by letting him keep his watery beer."

The B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch confirmed to CBC News that the ban only involves U.S.-made liquor products that are manufactured in the U.S. and imported into Canada.

"This does not impact U.S. brands made in B.C or Canada," it said in a statement referencing  Budweiser and Coors Light as U.S. brands produced by Canadian breweries Labatt and Molson, respectively.

Problem of integrated supply chains

In the U.S., the Brewers Association represents 5,500 small or independent craft brewers, which provide 75,000 hectolitres of beer to Canada every year. It's their number one export market.

President and CEO Bart Watson says the B.C. ban could end up hurting Canadian businesses as producers in the U.S. rely on Canadian materials to make their products.

"Not being able to sell is challenging," he said about the ban. "Also, a lot of those beers are being made with Canadian barley, Canadian malt. We have a very integrated supply chain in North America."

Eby acknowledged that the move may be disappointing to some consumers and encouraged them to try B.C. and Canadian products as replacements. He also doubled down on his directive to starve the U.S of tourism dollars.

He recently cancelled a family Disneyland trip with his own family.

"There are a lot of sacrifices that my family has to make because of the job that I do, and I'm very appreciative of it, and it was not the easiest conversation, " he said. "But we're not going to an American theme park for the foreseeable future."

The province said it expects to enact legislation within days that would allow it to levy fees against commercial trucks travelling from Washington State to Alaska.

Eby also said his government was working with Ottawa over possible tariffs or an outright ban on U.S. thermal coal that is transported through British Columbia.