Quebec Premier: No U.S. Alcohol Until Trade Talks

0:00It's April 23rd, from your city to your ears. This is Canada News Today, powered by AI, I'm Cory with the story. Quebec's new premier Christine Frischette just shut down any talk of putting American alcohol back on store shelves anytime soon. She says Canada won't budge on concessions until trade talks kick off with the United States, stressing that we're their biggest trading partner and deserve real discussions first. Meanwhile, Frischette made it clear that Quebec's dairy industry and cultural sectors are completely off the table in negotiations. She got reassurance from Prime Minister Mark Carney just days ago that those lines won't be crossed. Ontario premier Doug Ford echoed that vibe, saying no US booze returns without Whitehouse givebacks of front. On the US side, tensions are heating up. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik blasted Canadian provinces this week for yanking American liquor and hitting dairy hard, reminding everyone how much. Canada leans on the US economy.

1:01This all stems back to March when Quebec ordered its liquor agency to pull every US product from shelves and online over tariffs and threats from President Donald Trump. With a key review of the US Mexico-Canada agreement coming up this July, both sides are digging in, setting the stage for some intense, back and forth ahead.