Fact-based journalism that sparks the Canadian conversation

Articles Business Environment Health Politics Arts & Culture Society

Special Series Hope You’re Well For the Love of the Game Living Rooms In Other Worlds: A Space Exploration Terra Cognita More special series >

For the Love of the Game

In Other Worlds: A Space Exploration

More special series >

Events The Walrus Talks The Walrus Video Room The Walrus Leadership Roundtables The Walrus Leadership Forums Article Club

The Walrus Video Room

The Walrus Leadership Roundtables

The Walrus Leadership Forums

Subscribe Renew your subscription Change your address Magazine Issues Newsletters Podcasts

Renew your subscription

The Walrus Lab Hire The Walrus Lab Amazon First Novel Award

Amazon First Novel Award

Canadians May Soon Be Able to Buy Out-of-Province Booze More Directly

Facing another round of US tariffs, governments are looking to shore up sales where they can

United States president Donald Trump has once again raised the spectre of tariffs. Trade talks are intensifying—what else is new?—as Washington cites “Canadian discrimination against the commerce of the United States” and threatens a 50 percent duty on a wide range of goods, including dairy, cement, honey, and hockey sticks, set to be triggered on August 19.

Alcohol, a frequent flash point, is also on the list. As retaliation against the US’s first set of tariffs, American alcohol bans, or moratoriums, in Canada were instituted early last year. All provinces and territories initially instituted some kind of ban, and then two rescinded it. As a result of that, American alcohol imports dropped by 81 percent, or $582 million (US), between March 2025 and February 2026, according to the US government.

But while Canada has made it harder for Americans to sell us alcohol, it’s also trying to make it easier for Canadians to buy from one another. In late July, nine of Canada’s ten provinces signed an agreement to boost direct-to-consumer of alcohol sales (Quebec is still working on it). That means Canadians will be able to buy their favourite wines, beers, ciders, and spirits from producers directly, instead of going through a provincially regulated liquor-control board or commission. It also promises to open up trade between the provinces, making it easier for Canadians to buy booze produced outside their region. Premiers framed this new sign of interprovincial harmony as a way to strengthen our hand in the face of US belligerence.

The political symbolism was immediate. The practical details were not. Who is going to deliver all this booze? Are we all about to start ordering Nova Scotia gin like we order socks? To figure out what this latest round of alcohol agreements means for Canadians, I spoke to Kaylie Tiessen, chief economist at the Canadian Shield Institute.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

I’m curious about logistics and how this all will end up working.

A lot of the architecture is already there. In Ontario, you can have a case of beer delivered from a local brewery to your........

© The Walrus