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WARMINGTON: Targeting American bourbon and other products may happen soon

But make no mistake as America changes its way of doing business with its new External Revenue Service, eventual tariffs are likely coming for all countries who do business with them

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Perhaps it’s time Canada take a shot of Jack Daniel’s or Jim Beam.

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Maybe make it a double — but make it fast.

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With President Donald Trump promising to put a 25% tariff on Canadian goods as of Feb. 1, it’s very possible Ontario Premier Doug Ford will pull all American spirits, wine and beer from the LCBO in retaliation – perhaps even sooner.

He certainly was ready to do it earlier on Monday — Trump’s inauguration day — but did not when word initially came down that the plan was for the Americans to study the matter first. But late in the day, while signing executive orders in the Oval Office, the 47th President indicated he’s ready to spark a trade war, imposing tariffs on Feb. 1.

Ford said places like Tennessee and Kentucky will hurt as much as Ontario.

“I’ve sent a direction to the LCBO that if these tariffs come to (be), clear off every bit of U.S. alcohol off the shelves,” Ford told the media. “Let’s start promoting more Ontario made wines, and vodkas, the spirits.”

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While Ford had yet to comment after Trump has made his intentions known, it is believed the premier will follow through and will also encourage his provincial peers to follow suit.

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LCBO staff were all day waiting for the order.

“We had heard the rumours but had not seen anything official,” said one LCBO employee.

It was going to mean a lot of work.

“We sell an awful lot of American product, and the customers love it,” said the staffer. “With all the American bourbons, whiskeys and California wines, it would be a lot to pull from the shelves which would hurt the Americans and leave a hole in our stores, too.”

The LCBO staff were standing by, waiting for the directive.

Initial reports said the new Trump administration would review trade deficits with Canada, China and Mexico.

But deep down Canadians knew that with the creation of Trump’s promised External Revenue Service, tariffs would likely come.

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And it looks like they are – as Ford has warned.

Jack Daniels
Jack Daniel’s

So look for American product to be removed from those shelves soon.

One of those who has taken this battle head on is Ford  — who, from the beginning – has maintained Americans understand a hit to the pocketbook more than anything else. A former business owner himself in Chicago and New Jersey, the premier’s earlier threat of cutting off power to the United States didn’t go over well with some Canadians, while suggestions to remove American hooch hit a bullseye.

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But now everything is on the table.

The American booze is a good place to start because it is felt by numerous American states.  In a conversation about tariffs with Kentucky’s “great” Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, Ford said the “first thing out of his mouth was ‘Don’t touch my bourbon.’”

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Brampton Councillor Rowena Santos was at the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn., over the holidays.

“During the tour I learned that this famous distillery employs the majority of people in the small town of Lynchburg, and most of the rye they need to produce the drink comes from Canada,” she said. “The distinct bottles of Jack Daniel’s currently sits prominent on the shelves at the LCBO, but with Trump tariffs and our justified retaliation to a trade war, local jobs in small town Lynchburg will be at risk when those bottles come down and the rye they need to produce it will be much more expensive. Trade wars hit our local economies the most, regardless of what side of the border.”

Brampton Councillor Rowena Santos is pictured during a recent trip to Lynchburg, Tenn., where Jack Daniel's is produced. (Supplied photo)
Brampton Councillor Rowena Santos is pictured during a recent trip to Lynchburg, Tenn., where Jack Daniel’s is produced. (Supplied photo)

Santos agrees with Ford’s tough approach of standing up to a bully.

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As Ford said, many states’ main trading partner is Canada, and the only way to fight these tariffs is to target their products. Kentucky, for example, exports $9-billon worth of bourbon each year.

“They will feel the pain,” said Ford, adding, “we are the largest purchaser of alcohol in the entire world.”

Ford has said it will be up the governors of the affected states to take up their losses with Trump.

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Seems the lobbying by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, who was at Mar-a-Lago four times and in attendance Monday, were not enough. Nor was Conservative MP Jamil Jivani’s close friendship with Vice President J.D. Vance, which dates to their Yale Law School days.

It means there will be some tough days ahead for leaders and for regular Canadians. It may be time to start talking about energy travelling east and west, and like Ford said, start promoting more Canadian products.

There is nothing easy about being any of these representatives. If they do nothing, they get nailed for doing nothing. If they do or say too much, then people are on them for that.

There is more work to do. While it’s wise to not provoke Trump, it would be prudent to keep pressure on those governors.

Or just open up a bottle of Jim Beam and Jack Daniel and pour a stiff one – while they are still available in Canada.

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