U.S. import ban on Canadian alcohol takes effect Sept. 29, cutting off B.C. wine market

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday barring the import of Canadian alcohol, effective Sept. 29, cutting off what was already a slim export market for B.C. wineries but carrying symbolic weight at a crucial moment for the province's wine industry.

B.C. estimates it exports between $200,000 and $700,000 worth of wine annually to the United States—a small fraction of Canada's roughly $10 million in total wine exports to the U.S. But the timing stings. This summer, influential wine critic James Suckling published positive reviews of Okanagan Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling wines in June, marking a rare moment of American attention for the region.

Lauren Skinner, managing director of Painted Rock Estate Winery in Penticton, told Postmedia that visibility in U.S. publications and competitions is essential for credibility at home. "To be taken seriously here at home, you need to be written up by U.S. writers, and you need to be entering competitions and that kind of thing," Skinner said. When Trump first threatened 50 per cent tariffs on wine in July, Skinner suspected their California importer would likely stop buying. On Wednesday, she had not contacted the importer in the past 24 hours. "I'm tired and I am frustrated to be in the middle of a geopolitical dispute," she told Postmedia.

Jeff Guignard, CEO of Wine Growers of B.C., called the move evidence of failed economic policy. "But the principle of this is enormously significant. We had an open market a month ago, then we had 50 per cent tariffs, and now we have complete prohibition," Guignard said. He noted that B.C. wine appears in some of New York's top restaurants. "It matters when you see B.C. wine at some of the top restaurants in New York, or in other countries," Guignard said.

James Suckling, the American critic based in Hong Kong, called the ban "really sad." "I was really hoping that more Americans would get the chance to try these amazing wines, particularly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This really isn't what producers in British Columbia need. They want to expand their market," Suckling told Postmedia.

Trump singled out alcohol for retaliation because eight provinces, including B.C., Ontario and Quebec, restricted U.S. booze imports by pulling American products off provincial liquor store shelves. In July, Trump claimed these restrictions cost the U.S. more than $500 million in exports to Canada. The escalation from 50 per cent tariffs to an outright ban followed the breakdown in trade talks and Canada's retaliatory counter-tariffs.