American booze could soon be returning to P.E.I. shelves as part of ongoing negotiations

Lucas McInnis · CBC News

· Posted: Aug 20, 2026 7:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 20

About 18 months after alcohol from the United States was pulled from liquor store shelves in P.E.I., it could soon be back.

The move early last year came as a retaliatory measure against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, and resulted in all American wines, beers and spirits being pulled from P.E.I. liquor store shelves.

P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Mark Carney asked Canada's premiers to lift the ban in a first ministers’ conference, which was a chance for the prime minister to brief premiers on talks with the U.S.

"I’m confident that we're moving towards a deal, but there's still details to be worked out," Lantz said. 

"It looks like it's good for both sides, and that's the essence of a deal. I'm happy with what I've heard so far and I think we should continue to move forward, and the provinces will play our part when the time comes."

Officials from Canada and the United States are working to finalize a deal that would avoid new U.S. tariffs on nearly $30 billion in Canadian goods, with a deal expected on steel, aluminum, lumber, automobiles, dairy as well as U.S. alcohol.

Lantz said P.E.I. has done "reasonably well" throughout the trade disputes and that provinces are looking at taking a "Team Canada approach."

Late last year, the provincial government directed the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission to put existing U.S. products back on the shelves, with net profits returned to the government and donated to local food banks.

• P.E.I. food banks 'quite happy' to see $600K donation from profits of American liquor sales

• Trump expected to slash tariffs on Canadian goods, Carney asks premiers to put U.S. booze back on shelves

An emailed response from the province to CBC News said that as of the end of July, $1,031,338 worth of U.S. booze is still in storage and $2,158,662 has been sold.

The province said $383,868 went to charity.

With American alcohol potentially soon landing back on P.E.I. shelves, Lantz said Islanders "will express themselves through their spending," and have been doing exactly that on more than just alcohol. 

He said Canadians are "rightly upset at the way we've been treated" but there has been positive progress in negotiations, with the provinces "ready to play their part."

"The prime minister asked us to remove the alcohol bans, and I heard no opposition to that. We went across the country, the premiers spoke their parts, and when the time comes to execute that, I think it's very important that we've got a consensus on that," Lantz said.

"Islanders and Canadians can express their opinions through their pocketbooks. Nobody can force them to vacation in Florida or in Las Vegas or to buy Kentucky bourbon or California wine. But, as part of this deal, we would be returning American alcohol to the shelves of the P.E.I. liquor stores."