Nova Scotia’s liquor retailer continues to warehouse American alcohol and has no plans to sell it off

More than seven months after the NSLC pulled American alcohol from its shelves as part of Nova Scotia's response to the trade war with the U.S., the corporation has no plans to sell off any of that product, unlike its New Brunswick counterpart.

Earlier this month, New Brunswick Liquor started selling the $3.4 million of American alcohol that remained in its inventory.

For the NSLC, the Crown corporation has about $14 million of American product in storage, which is defined as goods made, manufactured and/or produced in the U.S.

This excludes some products people may perceive as American, such as Budweiser. For example, the Oland Brewery on Halifax's Agricola Street is part of the global beer company Anheuser-Busch InBev. Beers such as Budweiser and Bud Light are brewed there.

Similarly, Coors has several breweries in Canada, including one in Moncton, N.B..

And if you're wondering why "The spirit of New Orleans" — Southern Comfort — remains on NSLC shelves, that's because it's produced and bottled in Montreal.

Finance Department spokesperson Rachel Boomer said the province hasn't decided what it will do with the stockpiled American alcohol.

But non-tariff measures such as keeping American alcohol off store shelves will remain, for now.

"We are open to reviewing them should it be helpful to Team Canada when negotiating a longer term trade deal with the U.S.," she wrote in a statement.

American alcohol remains unavailable for sale at retailers and in bars and restaurants across much of Canada as part of how different provinces have responded to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump in early March.

Trump has also infuriated many Canadians with his talk of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state.

None of the NSLC's American alcohol in storage has been thrown out over perishability concerns, a spokesperson told CBC News.

In Quebec, the provincial liquor board, SAQ, said in August that it was preparing to destroy around $300,000 of American alcohol, but the province's finance minister later said the alcohol would be donated to foundations for charitable events and used for training in Quebec hotel and catering schools.

The American alcohol boycott by many provinces has hurt some U.S. alcohol producers.

American spirit exports to Canada "plummeted" 85 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States calling the situation "very troubling" as consumers in key international markets opt for alternatives to U.S.-made products amid trade tensions. Sales to Canada dropped below $10 million US for the quarter.

While exports to countries such as the U.K. and Japan fell 29 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively, the largest decrease was in Canada. These countries, along with the European Union, accounted for 70 per cent of U.S. spirit exports in 2024.

This prompted the council's CEO to "urge the President to help facilitate a lasting return to tariff-free trade with our longstanding trading partners to ensure the continued growth and vitality of this great industry,” he said in a news release.

In late August, Brown-Forman, the parent company of alcohol producers such as Jack Daniel's and Woodford Reserve, said sales to Canada dropped 62 per cent during the first fiscal quarter of 2026, which concluded on July 31.

The absence of American alcohol on NSLC shelves has been good for local and Canadian producers.

From March 4 to Sept. 15, sales of Nova Scotia spirit products and wine increased 24.2 per cent and 15.1 per cent, respectively, compared to the same time a year ago.

The NSLC also said Canadian wine and whisky sales are up 8.9 per cent and 8.5 per cent, respectively, compared to a year ago.

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