Canada Urged to Add Surtax to U.S. Alcohol as 50% Tariff Threat Targets 500 Items
Updated
Updated · The Province · Aug 18
Canada Urged to Add Surtax to U.S. Alcohol as 50% Tariff Threat Targets 500 Items
2 articles · Updated · The Province · Aug 18
Summary
Dr. Charles S. Shaver proposed putting U.S. alcohol back on Canadian shelves only with a prominent surtax, arguing provinces should adopt a unified response to Washington’s latest trade threat.
The proposal follows U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s warning that 50% tariffs could hit more than 500 Canadian products by Aug. 19, partly over provincial bans on U.S. liquor.
Shaver said Ontario and Quebec should restore warehoused stock, while B.C. and others should order only token consignments; Alberta and Saskatchewan should add provincial levies to the existing 25% federal surtax.
His case rests on both economics and politics: the Trump administration says Canadian imports of U.S. alcohol have fallen 81%, while a Nanos poll found 80.9% of B.C. residents and 69% of Canadians would keep boycotting it.
The debate highlights wider limits on retaliation, with Alberta rejecting oil export restrictions and Saskatchewan doing the same for potash, while analysts warn cutting critical minerals would sharply escalate the dispute.