MONTRÉAL — The Quebec liquor board may be forced to destroy $300,000 worth of American alcohol that the province has banned from stores.
The provincial government on March 4 ordered the state-owned corporation to empty shelves of U.S. alcohol in response to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
Since then, U.S. alcohol purchased before the boycott has been kept in storage, but Quebec's liquor board says that unless the government changes its guidelines it will have to destroy some products set to expire. Affected products are mainly rosé and boxed wines, ready-to-drink cocktails, and certain beers and liqueurs not suitable for prolonged storage.
"The scenario surrounding these products has not yet been finalized and the operation is still ongoing," liquor board spokesperson Laurianne Tardif said in a written statement. "Several factors, including the duration of the operation, the number of products involved and future decisions regarding their fate, will have a direct impact on the potential costs."
The $300,000 worth of stock represents only a small portion of the $27 million of American products in storage.
In June, liquor board president and CEO Jacques Farcy said the American products had not yet lost their value. "These are not fresh or perishable products," he said at the time. "So these products retain their value. If things drag on, there may be further discussions."
He indicated it would be up to the Quebec government to decide when the liquor board could resume selling American alcohol.
In March, several other provinces including Ontario and Alberta also directed their liquor regulators to stop buying American products, while B.C. banned liquor from "red states" that voted for Trump in the 2024 election.
However, Alberta and Saskatchewan have since reversed those decisions and are once again allowing the sale of U.S. alcohol.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025.
— With files from Maura Forrest in Montreal.
Stéphane Rolland, The Canadian Press
