BC Pulls US Liquor—But What Happens to the Stock Already Paid For? The Province Won’t Say
As most British Columbia-based readers will have heard by now, the BC government has ordered the immediate removal of all US-made alcoholic beverages from BC Liquor stores, expanding a policy that initially targeted only products from Republican-led states. The move, announced Monday by Premier David Eby, comes in response to what he describes as "escalating threats" from the US, including trade tariffs and comments made by President Donald Trump regarding Canadian industries and territorial sovereignty.
The decision means BC Liquor stores will no longer stock or purchase any American beer, wine, spirits, or other alcoholic beverages.
"Today, we are ordering the removal of all American beer, wine, spirits and refreshment beverages from the shelves at BC Liquor stores," Eby said. "The stores carry hundreds of types of US alcohol that the BC Liquor Distribution Branch will also no longer be purchasing."
This raises the question: what exactly is BC going to do with all the American alcohol it has already paid for?
A manager at a BC Liquor store in Vancouver told Coastal Front that employees have been instructed to remove all American liquor from shelves and place it under a black tarp at the edge of the store “until further notice.”
Already purchased American liquor placed under tarps at BC Liquor stores “until further notice.”
“We’ve already paid for the liquor,” he said. “I don’t understand why we don’t just sell it and then cancel future orders.”
The manager further stated that warehouses are now full of already purchased American liquor sitting in limbo.
“Who knows what they’ll tell us to do tomorrow,” he added.
Coastal Front reached out to the Premier’s office on March 6, when only liquor from red states was being removed, to ask why the province would not sell its existing stock and simply stop future orders.
The province confirmed on March 6 that it was “working on” a response but has yet to provide a substantive answer.
“We’re still working on it and hoping to have something for you soon,” the Premier’s office told Coastal Front on March 7.
The BC Liquor Distribution Branch’s (BCLDB) communications department has also not provided a substantive response.
Economic and Industry Impact
Sales data from the BCLDB suggests that US alcohol sales were already declining before the expanded ban. Between October and December 2024, American beer sales in BC fell by 58 percent, from $600,338 to $253,749. American whiskey accounted for just under five percent of total whiskey sales ($3.9 million out of $84.2 million), while American wine represented 13 percent of all wine sales ($40.5 million out of $307.6 million).
Despite uncertainty over potential economic consequences, the BC government is pressing ahead. The Liquor Distribution Branch has launched a marketing push to highlight Canadian-made alternatives. In stores, red Maple Leaf shelf tags are now being used to identify BC and Canadian-produced wines, craft beers, and spirits.
‘President Trump Wants to Hurt Canada’
The expanded ban is part of a broader strategy by the BC government to push back against what it views as aggressive trade actions from Washington. Premier David Eby has suggested that BC may impose new fees on US commercial trucks traveling through BC to Alaska and is in discussions with the federal government about a potential levy on US thermal coal exports shipped through Vancouver’s port.
Eby framed the move as a response not just to economic pressure, but to a broader political strategy by the US government. "Let there be no mistake about the intent behind tariffs," he said. "President Trump wants to hurt Canada economically so he can annex Canada politically… That will never happen. We are proud Canadians. We will always be the true north, strong and free."
Critics have questioned whether the ban is more symbolic than substantive. Some argue that rather than directly impacting US trade policy, the move risks straining relationships with key trade partners, particularly Democratic-led states like Washington, Oregon, and California, which have historically supported open trade with Canada despite federal tensions.
The BC government has indicated that legislation will be introduced in the coming days to support its trade stance, but specific details remain unclear.
As for the liquor, the government has yet to clarify what will happen to the American alcohol it has already paid for. Despite multiple inquiries from Coastal Front, neither the Premier’s office nor the BC Liquor Distribution Branch has provided a clear answer. For now, the unsold stock sits under tarps—leaving one obvious question: Why remove liquor the province has already paid for?
