Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew stated Thursday that Canada should continue to resist trade concessions with the United States, describing President Donald Trump as "irresponsible" and "not to be trusted." While Kinew questioned the reliability of a deal with the current U.S. administration, he indicated that Manitoba may still follow Prime Minister Mark Carney's request to restore U.S. alcohol sales as part of a "Team Canada" negotiating strategy.
The tension follows a period where eight of Canada's ten provinces restricted or banned American alcohol in response to previous U.S. tariffs and comments from the president regarding Canada's sovereignty. Prime Minister Carney has been meeting with provincial leaders to coordinate a response to threatened 50% U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, which are currently delayed until early Saturday morning.
Dominic LeBlanc, the Canadian minister responsible for trade, reported Thursday that both nations are "very close" to a final agreement following meetings in Washington with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. President Trump characterized the potential agreement as "very fair" to both sides. Despite the progress, Kinew argued that Canada holds the "upper hand" and predicted that the U.S. president would lose significant political ground in upcoming midterm elections due to cost-of-living concerns.
In Ontario, the impact is particularly large for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), which previously imported approximately 1 billion Canadian dollars ($723 million) in U.S. products annually. The restoration of these sales represents a major shift for one of the world's largest alcohol buyers. While provincial premiers lack the power to veto a federal trade deal, their control over liquor procurement and provincial purchasing gives them direct influence over the specific concessions the U.S. is demanding.
The broader international impact includes the precedent for how Canada handles future trade disputes under the threat of sudden tariffs. University of Toronto professor Robert Bothwell noted that Kinew's vocal opposition reflects a broader sentiment among the Canadian public. The immediate next steps involve Canadian officials remaining in Washington to finalize terms before the Saturday morning tariff deadline. While Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia have backed the Prime Minister's direction, Quebec continues to assess the economic impact before fully endorsing the plan.