The Alberta government has lifted its ban on American liquor imports, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be more U.S. booze landing on shelves anytime soon.
Following the province’s lifting of a three-month ban on American liquor imports, provincial alcohol regulator Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) announced on June 6 that it will once again accept liquor products from the United States.
WATCH | Will consumers go back to American booze? The provincial government told Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis to start accepting American liquor products again, after a three-month pause amid the Canada-U.S. trade war.
But with a 25 per cent tariff on all American alcohol imports, the buy-local sentiment by Canadian consumers may not be going away anytime soon.
Andrew Ferguson, owner of Kensington Wine Market, said that after over two decades in the liquor business, he hasn’t seen anything like the consumer backlash stemming from the Canada-U.S. trade war.
“If people aren’t buying American products like they were before, they’re not going to buy them …