Canada pulls California wines amid US trade tariffs [Video]

LODI, Calif. — Canadian liquor stores are pulling California wines from their shelves as part of a trade dispute sparked by the Trump administration’s tariffs, leaving winemakers in the state facing new uncertainty.

Canada imposed 25% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods Tuesday, including agricultural products like wine. Some provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, have taken further action by ordering American liquors to be removed entirely from shelves.

For California winemakers, the move threatens a key export market. Canada is the largest foreign buyer of U.S. wines, accounting for $1.1 billion in annual retail sales, according to the Wine Institute.

“As a producer, it’s hard. We don’t want to see our wine come off the shelf,” said Joan Kautz of Ironstone Vineyards, which operates in Lodi and Calaveras County. 

About 10% of Ironstone’s exports go to Canada, she …