Quebec won’t be selling wine from California or the United States despite pleas from leaders in the Golden State to reconsider the ban.
Premier Christine Fréchette’s office panned the idea Friday, pointing to defending the province’s economic interests “in the context of the ongoing trade war.”
“This measure will remain in effect as long as the United States maintains these unjustified tariffs. Our government will reassess its position when the American administration reverses these measures,” her office said in a statement.
The move comes after U.S. Democrat Senator Adam Schiff from California sent a letter to Fréchette on June 24 urging her to lift the restriction. He argued the absence of American wines “limits choice in the marketplace, while cutting off a $434-million market.”
“Unfortunately, the restriction on American wine has had damaging consequences for regional consumers, businesses and producers who have no influence over national policies,” he wrote.
Schiff added that he has “repeatedly voiced” his opposition to and voted against U.S. President Donald Trump’s “harmful trade policies, including as they pertain to Canada.”
Earlier in June, California members of Congress sent Fréchette a similar letter.
The Quebec government imposed the ban in March 2025 in response to the Trump administration’s tariffs on Canadian goods. At the time, other provinces, including Ontario, also directed their liquor regulators to stop buying all American alcohol.
This isn’t the first time that Quebec’s premier has shut down the idea of restoring U.S. alcohol to the province’s shelves. In April, Fréchette said she didn’t “think that we should make concessions before having discussions with our American partners” ahead of summer trade talks.
Last week, the Trump administration announced it won’t renew the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) its in current form, and it wants annual reviews of the trade pact. The current agreement is set to expire in 2036.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic Leblanc has said the federal government will “continue engaging constructively with the United States and Mexico while firmly defending Canadian interests.”
klaframboise@postmedia.com
Editor’s Picks
Dining and Cooking