If U.S. booze returns to shelves, 'leave it there,' Manitoba premier says

Manitoba's premier says he's reluctantly open to restocking American liquor as part of a potential trade deal, but with a suggestion — "Don't buy it."

Canadian and U.S. officials are working to finalize a deal that would avert new U.S. tariffs on nearly $30 billion in Canadian goods. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney and his negotiators discussed the prospective deal with his cabinet and the premiers.

Kinew says Carney asked the provinces to return American alcohol to store shelves, but Manitoba has yet to agree to that.

If the provinces return U.S. products to Liquor Marts as part of a potential trade deal, Kinew said Canadians still have the agency to "leave it there."

"Don't buy it. Let it sit on the shelf … and buy the Canadian stuff instead," he told reporters during a noon-hour news conference in his office Thursday.

"Let's send a message that … we don't like Donald Trump's approach to trade or his way of treating Canada."

The province first yanked millions of dollars worth of U.S.-made alcohol in 2025 in retaliation for Trump's decision to levy tariffs on Canadian goods that weren't compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement.

WATCH | Premier Wab Kinew talks about possibility U.S. alcohol could return to shelves:

Manitobans stood in long lineups to buy American liquor for a limited time in December, after the province reshelved some of its stockpile before Christmas and sent $2.6 million in proceeds to holiday charities.

American wines and liqueurs expected to expire this fall were also sold at Liquor Marts in May.

Manitobans favoured local options even when U.S. alcohol was available, accounting for a year-over-year sales growth of nearly $21 million at the province's Liquor Marts, the province said in June.

Other Prairie provinces put U.S. alcohol back on the shelves long ago.

Alberta took U.S. booze off store shelves in March 2025 in line with the other provinces, but dropped the ban three months later. The government said at the time that selling products from south of the border again showed a "renewed commitment to open and fair trade."

Saskatchewan briefly implemented a ban in March 2025, but reversed course two months later.

'Trump is very weak'

Carney also asked the premiers not to exclude the United States from their procurement policies, Kinew said.

Manitoba's procurement policies have stated a preference for Canadian or non-American sources since the trade war began last year, which has led to an 82 per cent year-over-year decline in the province's spending on American firms, the premier said.

"That's had a huge impact, by the way," he said. "You can see why the Trump administration is coming to Canada and asking for a deal."

Manitoba's Opposition leader says Kinew is not supporting local as much as he claims, suggesting the 82 per cent figure was inflated, as the province signed a $36-million contract with American-based Aramark food services in July 2025.

"The premier is still doling out millions to American companies," Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan told CBC News.

WATCH | Kinew wants better trade deal with U.S.:

Kinew said Carney told the premiers if U.S. booze does not go back on the shelves, there will be no trade deal with the Trump administration.

"I wouldn't say that he was begging us, but what is a step before begging?"

While he's still waiting for some details of the deal, including the exact nature of what tariffs will be placed on steel and aluminum, Kinew said he would like "the tariffs to be zero."

He said support for workers, including at places like the Gerdau steel mill in Selkirk, Man., will likely be needed for Manitoba to agree to the terms.

He called Trump erratic, irresponsible and not to be trusted, questioning whether a deal would last.

"Who's to say it's not going to be undone?" Kinew said. "With that in mind, we reserve the right to take the U.S. booze off the shelves again."

• Premiers back Carney as trade war with U.S. escalates

He said Canada should fight for a better deal.

"I think Donald Trump is very weak. I think America is weaker around the world today than it was a year ago. He's about to get slaughtered in the midterms," he said.

"I think we've got the upper hand. They're back on their heels right now. They're coming to us for a deal, and so I think we should fight."

Kinew also said he doesn't expect to be satisfied with whatever deal may be reached.

"But it's not about me, it's about Team Canada — what we've been saying for the past year, year and a half, since all this tariff nonsense started."

Kinew's comments 'nonsensical': winemaker

A California winemaker and native Winnipegger says Kinew should not lump all U.S. alcohol together.

"It's just nonsensical because he's not separating where the alcohol is from in the U.S.," Steve Matthiasson, owner of Matthiasson Wines in Napa, Calif., told CBC News on Thursday.

"The California winemakers are not the problem here. We're allies."

His business saw a 15 to 20 per cent decrease in exports after Canadian provinces pulled American products off the shelves. The vineyard produces about 120,000 bottles of wine per year, selling them all over the U.S. and in two dozen foreign countries, Matthiasson said.

The trade war has made it "extremely difficult to plan" and has led to a downsizing of his team and fewer improvements to infrastructure, he said.

"It's incredibly frustrating and sad to not be able to export wine back to my home country," Matthiasson said. "As a Canadian, I deeply understand the emotions of Canadians' frustration dealing with this U.S. trade policy"

• Video

  Majority of Canadians say they won't buy American alcohol if it becomes available again

Reactions were mixed when CBC News spoke to people outside a Liquor Mart in Winnipeg's Osborne Village neighbourhood Thursday.

Brian Mann says it's a "pretty smart move" for Carney to concede on American liquor.

"When you're dealing with a guy like Trump, you gotta make some concessions," he told CBC News.

"Making that concession knowing that Canadians have their elbows up higher than the Gordie Howe bridge is probably a smart move. We're not going to buy it, most of us."

Mann didn't pay much attention to where his purchases came from before the trade war, but that's changed, and he says he supports Kinew's push to buy local.

"I won't even buy celery that comes from the United States."

Tobiah Markovitz, who grew up in Minnesota before moving to Manitoba, says many Minnesota businesses rely on trade with Canadian provinces.

"I definitely just hope that it means better things are on the way for the relationship of the two because there's a lot of people who rely on both sides of the border being in good cahoots."

Jaydin Pommer says the lack of American products in Liquor Marts has benefited local distilleries working to fill the void.

"It's been really nice to see more local things popping up," she said.