As U.S. President Donald Trump ratchets up his ongoing trade war with a proposed 50 per cent tariff on Canadian wine, some vintners in Ontario appear to be brushing off the threat. “For Ontario’s craft wine producers, the impact of announced tariffs on Canadian import wines would be small if implemented,” Kris Barnier, president and CEO of Ontario Craft Wineries (OCW), told CTV News Toronto in a statement. On Monday, Trump announced the U.S. would impose tariffs on dozens of Canadian goods, including wine and spirits, regardless of whether they are protected under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The latest round of tariffs was levelled against Canada in response to what the White House described as discriminatory trade practices against the U.S., including the decision by some provinces to remove American-made alcohol from its stores. Ontario has taken part in the boycott since early last year, and Premier Doug Ford has remained adamant that U.S. liquor will not be returned to LCBO shelves before the trade war is finished. U.S. exports a small part of Ontario craft winemakers’ business: OCW The OCW said that while some of the 115 VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) wineries it represents do export products south of the border, it’s a small part of their business. Bill Redelmeier is the owner of Southbrook Organic Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. and said “very little” wine is sent from Canada to the U.S., describing the trade relationship, as it pertains to wine, as asymmetrical in the U.S.’ favour. Before American wine came off Ontario shelves, Canada imported $550 million worth a year, while the U.S. brought in just $8 million in Canadian wine. “No one is complaining that this is a trade issue,” he said, pointing to the fact that the LCBO sold $965 million worth of U.S. alcohol annually prior to the ban taking effect. In fact, earlier this month California Senator Adam Schiff said that the boycott of American wine was “causing devastating harm to winegrowers” in his state, as he pleaded for a reversal of the policy. Since U.S. liquor was pulled from the LCBO’s shelves, Ontario VQA wine sales across the board have spiked by 44 per cent in the last year. Ontario-made spirits, which would also be subject to Trump’s latest tariffs, saw a nine per cent increase in sales. Redelmeier said he expects that the American wines and other alcoholic products will be sold again in Ontario “fairly soon.” But when that time comes, he said it shouldn’t be done carte blanche. “What I hope to see when American wines return, that there would be a tariff applied to them that is the equivalent to what is applied on Canadian wine, and that that tariff be donated to charities that work on food insecurity in Ontario,” he said. U.S. system always had barriers: grower Fielding Estate Winery in Lincoln, Ont. has been around for 20 years. It’s owner Curtis Fielding says the threat of a 50 per cent tariff on wine sold to the U.S. is more than a little empty as the American system has always had barriers. “It’s basically export it from Canada to an importer there, which takes a cut and then to a distributor that takes another cut. So they’re taking cuts all the way along and there’s nothing left for the farmer or the winery,” he said. Fielding said they tried selling into the U.S. years ago and it wasn’t worth it, adding many others in the region feel the same. Canadian distillers could feel the pinch The proposed tariffs could be more impactful for Canadian distillers, according to Spirits Canada. In a statement, the group said that in 2025 alone, approximately 93 per cent of the country’s total spirits exports were destined for the U.S. Beyond that, it explained that 48 per cent of all spirits production in Canada is tied to U.S. demand, leaving “limited alternatives” of replacing that demand in the near term. “These tariffs will hurt more than Canadian distillers,” Cal Bricker, president and CEO of Spirits Canada, said in a statement to CTV News. “They will impact jobs, investment, agriculture, hospitality businesses and consumers on both sides of the border. We remain hopeful that governments can work together to reach a negotiated solution before these measures take effect.” With files from CTV News Toronto’s Sean Leathong
