Saskatchewan to Impose 50 Percent Tariffs on US Alcohol, Leave US Booze on Shelves

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks during a media interview on the sidelines of the Canada Strong and Free Network annual conference in Ottawa on April 11, 2025. The Canadian Press/Spencer ColbySaskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced that his province will be imposing 50 percent tariffs on U.S. alcohol to match Washington’s alcohol tariffs, but said the province is still not considering removing American booze from store shelves.Moe said during an Aug. 26 press conference that while many had been asking if Saskatchewan would be making changes to its sales of U.S. alcohol, the government had decided “we want to leave the choice with the people of Saskatchewan.”“That is a very important core value for this government … and we believe that that ability to not have government in your life to the degree possible is a very core value of the families that live here,” he said.Moe also noted that U.S. alcohol sales were down by 40 percent in the province, while Saskatchewan alcohol sales had increased, which “sends a much stronger message than any government-ordered ban that could be put in place.”Following a series of U.S. tariffs being placed on Canada in early 2025, provinces and territories took steps to limit the purchase or sale of U.S. alcohol products in March. However, Alberta and Saskatchewan resumed accepting new U.S. alcohol shipments in June 2025.According to the White House, Canadian imports of U.S. alcoholic products fell by around 81 percent between March 2025 and February 2026 on a year-over-year basis.Moe said that the new 50 percent tariffs on U.S. alcohol were being imposed in response to new 50 percent tariffs on Canadian alcohol, which took effect on Aug. 22. After trade talks between Canada and the United States broke down, Washington imposed tariffs on US$20 billion Canadian exports to the United States, including on electronics, paper, and dairy.Moe said Saskatchewan’s tariffs will take effect on Sept. 8, which is the same day the federal government’s counter-tariffs on the United States will kick in. Ottawa’s counter-tariffs will be on goods valued at CA$27.6 billion, and hit items ranging from seafood to furniture to aluminum and steel.Moe on Potash, Oil TariffsMoe said in a post on social media that his government supports the federal government’s “focused and targeted approach in its counter tariffs on US imports.” He said Ottawa’s new counter-tariffs cover about 11.3 percent of Saskatchewan’s annual imports from the United States, and his province is analyzing the counter-tariff list closely and working with affected industries to “determine its potential impact on jobs and consumer prices.”Moe also told reporters that his province would not support “any kind of export tariff” on its natural resources being exported to the United States, which included tariffs on potash used in fertilizer. He said Saskatchewan is set to supply 50 percent of the world’s potash supplies, and tariffs would harm the province, increase costs for farmers, and lead to the United States buying potash from countries like Belarus.Moe also said Saskatchewan could not support tariffs on oil, as they would be an “unsustainable hit” to his province and Alberta, and they would “have a far greater impact on those that are living in eastern Canada than it would even on those that are directly working in the energy industry.”Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has also said she does not support tariffs on oil, saying on Aug. 24 that “cutting off Alberta energy exports to the U.S. would be extremely harmful to Canadians and is not a viable option.”Ontario Premier Doug Ford had threatened to cut off electricity and critical minerals to the United States on Aug. 24, adding that his province could start with a surcharge for its electricity to U.S. states like New York, Michigan, and Minnesota, and “escalate” from there.Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked on Aug. 24 about whether he would consider cutting off electricity and critical minerals to Washington. Carney said he wanted to begin with “positive initiatives,” and would see if Canada needed to “do more.”