Premier Eby says 'not a chance in hell' U.S. alcohol coming back to B.C. shelves

Premier Eby says 'not a chance in hell' U.S. alcohol coming back to B.C. shelves

Trump declares Canada 'unreasonably burdens' U.S. alcohol

B.C. Premier David Eby says the province won't back down from its ban on U.S. alcohol at government-run liquor stores, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's newly announced tariffs of 50 per cent on a wide range of Canadian exports.

"There is not a chance in hell that U.S. alcohol is going back on the shelf in British Columbia," Eby said Tuesday at a meeting of premiers in Charlottetown.

"The idea of the president, that he can bully us into whatever he wishes is incorrect," he added.

In a presidential proclamation Monday, Trump declared that Canada "unreasonably burdens" U.S. alcoholic beverages but not those of other countries and called it "Canadian discrimination" against U.S. commerce.

Two other proclamations included imposing additional duties "to offset" Canadian discrimination around motor vehicles and dairy.

Not a chance in hell' U.S. booze going back on B.C. shelves: Eby

The U.S. has listed nearly 500 product categories impacted by the new tariffs, some of which clearly relate directly to trade irritants with the Canadian dairy sector and the provincial alcohol boycotts.

Other products are less clearly related to stated trade barriers, including Christmas decorations, synthetic wigs and circular saw blades.

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In 2025, B.C. banned all U.S. alcohol at government-run stores in response to Trump's tariff and annexation threats. Other provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, have done the same.

Trump said in the proclamation that Canadian imports of U.S. alcohol from March 2025 through February 2026 decreased approximately 81 per cent compared to the same period in 2024-25.

Eby said Trump's tariffs will hurt B.C. families, specifically those in wood manufacturing and the production of alcoholic beverages.

"This feels like an increasingly desperate and flailing approach to relationships with our country," he said.

"There is no reason to believe that this is the bottom in terms of where he is willing to go," he added.

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He said the country should not "bow down to this president's attempt to put pressure on Canadians."

"The one way to embolden a bully is to capitulate. And I don't think we should embolden Mr. Trump, who clearly is a bully."

Eby said the province is taking time to expand its non-U.S. relationships and pointed to his recent trade trips to India and China.

"Let's focus our energy on the places that are really excited to trade with us and ... take this generational opportunity so that our kids are not put in the same situation of being too dependent on the United States."

The new tariffs are scheduled to take effect Aug. 19.

Lauren Vanderdeen is a Vancouver-based reporter for CBC British Columbia. She formerly worked for community newspapers, including the Burnaby Now and New West Record. You can reach her at lauren.vanderdeen@cbc.ca.