Quebec premier open to allowing US wines on store shelves, with conditions

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette says she’s open to allowing US wines to return to liquor store shelves, but not at any price.

Fréchette says that the province first wants to see gains on the trade front.

As an example, the first says she’d like to see reductions in tariff barriers for key sectors such as forestry, aluminum, and manufacturing.

The Quebec government directed its liquor board to stop selling US products last year in retaliation for earlier rounds of tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump’s government.

Fréchette notes that she is not willing to accept any proposals to weaken the supply management system in the province or any changes that would affect Quebec culture and language in the ongoing trade negotiations.

A new round of 50 per cent American tariffs on a range of Canadian goods is set to take effect on Aug. 19.

Unlike most of Trump’s other tariffs, these would have no exemptions for goods that comply with the Canada-US-Mexico agreement on trade.