Ford says LCBO won’t bring back American booze despite renewed Trump threat

The ban was introduced last year after U.S. tariffs were first imposed on Canadian imports, leading Doug Ford to tell the LCBO to remove American alcohol from the LCBO.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he won’t drop an LCBO ban on American alcohol after United States President Donald Trump cited it as one of his issues with Canada in a lengthy social media post.

The ban was introduced last year after U.S. tariffs were first imposed on Canadian imports, leading Ford to tell the Crown corporation to remove all American products from the shelves of provincial liquor stores.

The ban was referenced by Trump in a Monday night complaint about a new bridge planned between Ontario and Michigan, but Ford said he had no intention of changing course.

“It’s obviously working, it’s an irritant,” the premier told reporters on Tuesday. “There’s one thing President Trump can do, get rid of Canadian tariffs…. Get rid of it and we’re good to go.”

Ford said he thinks Ontario should “double down if we have to” on the alcohol ban — although it’s not clear how the ban could be increased.

“This is not the time to roll over and let President Trump take advantage of us,” Ford said. “We want a strong relationship with our closest friend, and we’re going to continue moving forward.”

Ford said Prime Minister Mark Carney had not mentioned the ban on American alcohol at the LCBO.

In a lengthy post on his Truth Social website, Trump called for immediate negotiations over the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit that he said would seek U.S. ownership of “at least one half of this asset.”