Canadian booze-makers hope U.S. tariff threats help smash trade barriers at home [Video]

Threats by two premiers to ban U.S alcohol if Washington imposes its threatened 25 per cent tariffs has domestic buyers and sellers calling for a loosening of interprovincial barriers.

B.C. Premier David Eby — like Ontario’s Doug Ford — says he’s willing to stop all American-made alcohol products at the border if the Trump administration tariffs kick in on Saturday. 

“If they are not going to abide by our trade agreements then neither are we,” Eby told reporters last week.

But this tough talk has some questioning long-standing protectionism within the country that makes it hard to sell Canadian-crafted wines, brews and spirits between provinces.

“Sometimes it’s harder to move stuff across the provincial border than it is to ship stuff outside of Canada or bring stuff into Canada — which is ridiculous,” said Tyler Dyck, CEO of Okanagan Spirits and president of both the Craft Distillers Guild of B.C and the Canadian Craft Distillers …