B.C. Jobs Minister: No U.S. Booze Until Trade Beef Sorted

0:00It's April 23rd. Welcome to Canada News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. British Columbia's Jobs Minister is drawing a hard line. No American booze hitting liquor store shelves until the trade beef with the U.S. gets sorted. Robbie Kalan laid it out clear. Folks craving Kentucky bourbon got a chill to those U.S. tariffs vanish. Earlier this week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Letnick blasted the ban as outrageous during a Senate hearing, calling it a big thorn in trade. Talks. Kalan fired back, pointing to disrespect from the U.S. side, and zero progress on fixing the damage those tariffs hit B.C. with. Restaurants are feeling the pinch hard, with the ban now a year old and costing the industry about $70 million. Leaders like Ann Tostensen from the B.C. Restaurant Association wants some wiggle room, maybe letting wholesalers stock up, especially with the 2026 World Cup looming. This all kicked off last year, when B.C., Ontario, and Quebec yanked U.S. products, first from Republican-led states, then all American spirits.

1:07Retaliation to President Trump's tariffs and wild talk. Those provinces cover nearly two-thirds of Canada's population, and U.S. booze makers are hurting. Prime Minister Mark Carney shut down any pre-talking sessions, while Kalan dismissed booze bans, stalling customer renegotiations. If anything, he says, it should push the U.S. to the table faster. Trade wars stay hot till both sides deal fair.