U.S. alcohol could return to Canadian shelves as trade deal nears

Prime Minister Mark Carney is urging premiers to lift the U.S. alcohol ban as officials try to finalize a trade deal.

On Wednesday, tariffs were set to come into place but U.S. President Donald Trump said he will delay them until Saturday as both sides are close to a deal.

One of Trump’s demands in negotiations is to bring back American booze to LCBOs across Canada.

As the two countries are closer to finalizing a trade agreement that would avoid the 50 per cent U.S. tariffs, Carney asked provincial premiers during a briefing on Wednesday to return U.S. alcohol to store shelves.

Both countries are still negotiating but Canada says it is a very good deal for this country while cautioning that negotiations are not complete.

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Trump also said the agreement was “very fair’” to both sides and predicted that U.S. farmers and manufacturers would benefit.

The tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian imports have been postponed until 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

Some premiers say they’re optimistic while others say they’re waiting for more details on the Canada-U.S. trade talks.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said he is on the optimistic side of things, adding that Carney has asked provinces to restock American alcohol on their shelves.

Meanwhile, Quebec Premier Christine Frechette says she still has a few questions before signing off on the deal.

With Files From The Canadian Press

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