A widely circulated video captured shopkeepers removing bottles of the popular whiskey from store displays. The move appears to be linked to the ongoing trade dispute between the US and Canada, following tariffs imposed by Donald Trump and countermeasures announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), one of the largest alcohol distributors in Canada, recently made the decision to stop selling US-made alcoholic beverages. The action has drawn sharp criticism from Brown-Forman, the company behind Jack Daniel’s.
Whiting went on to call Canada’s counter-tariffs ‘disproportionate,’ though he acknowledged that Canada only makes up about one percent of the company’s total sales, according to The Guardian.
However, the situation in Mexico may pose a bigger challenge for Jack Daniel’s, as sales in that market account for about seven percent of the company’s total revenue in 2024.
Trump claimed that Canada could avoid the tariffs if it chose to “become the US’ Cherished 51st State,” a proposal that Canada unsurprisingly rejected.
The order also alleged that Canadian-based fentanyl production was on the rise and noted that enough fentanyl was seized at the US-Canada border last year to kill nearly 10 million Americans.
Despite these assertions, Trump’s tariff decision remained in place, escalating tensions between the two countries.
In response, Canada introduced its own counter-tariffs, refusing to let what it called an “unjustified decision” go unanswered. The Canadian government is also working with provinces and territories to explore additional non-tariff measures.
