As the trade dispute with the U.S. drags on after a deal recently fell through, the availability of American alcohol in Canada remains largely unchanged.
While it's sometimes reported there's a ban on American alcohol in the country, the reality is more complicated.
"Embargo doesn't fit. It's not a tariff, it's not a blockade and it's not a boycott," said Robert Huish, a Dalhousie University professor in Halifax who studies sanctions, tariffs and economic weapons.
"It's almost like a flex move, really, where the provinces are able to say, 'Hey, look, we're making this choice for the short term,' and there seems to be a lot of public support for that choice there," said Huish.
The reality is that the availability of American alcohol varies widely across the country — from full availability in Alberta to unavailable at the LCBO, Ontario's Crown-run liquor retailer, which happens to be one of the largest purchasers of alcohol in the world.
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Many other provinces, including Nova Scotia, happen to be somewhere in the middle.
"That choice to not shelve product, that's been a very powerful symbolic message, right to the Trump White House," Huish said. "He's reacted to it personally."
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What follows is a province-by-province look at the availability of American alcohol across Canada.
While American alcohol has remained off the shelves at the Crown-run B.C. Liquor stores since early last year, warehoused American product can still be purchased by private liquor stores, restaurants, bars and pubs from the province's Liquor Distribution Branch.
Alberta, which has a private liquor retailing system, has a public liquor importer, Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC). In March 2025, the importer announced it would no longer accept American alcohol imports, though retailers were permitted to sell existing inventory.
Saskatchewan uses a model similar to Alberta's. The Crown-run Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority acts as the main distributor, while retail stores are privately owned.
