Ottawa, ON – Today, the Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and the Conservative Party of Canada, sent the following letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling on him to let Canadians buy Canadian alcohol and bring home investment to make Canada stronger, more self-reliant and less vulnerable to economic threats from abroad:

Prime Minister, 

President Trump has announced a ban on most Canadian alcohol imports starting September 29. This latest attack on our producers demands action to save Canadian jobs and paycheques.

Moosehead Breweries and Signal Hill Whisky are already absorbing the cost of American tariffs. Now they face losing access to American customers. According to Spirits Canada, the United States bought 93 per cent of Canada’s spirits exports by value last year. Some young entrepreneurs are even considering moving their operations south of the border.

As I said during my recent trip to New York, I will work with your government at home and abroad to fight for free trade with the United States and defend Canadian workers.

But while our producers face barriers abroad, governments continue to put obstacles in their way at home.

Last week, you urged Canadians to buy Canadian. I agree. Canadians should be free to buy B.C. and Niagara wine, Alberta whisky, New Brunswick beer and Nova Scotia gin, wherever they live. Restaurants and retailers should be free to sell these products. Yet barriers between provinces still stand, more than a year after you promised free trade within Canada by Canada Day 2025.

Your Liberal government is also driving up the cost of every bottle and can. For nearly a decade, your party has raised federal alcohol taxes year after year. You chose to continue those hikes on April 1, adding costs for producers, restaurants and consumers as the industry struggled with American tariffs.

I am asking you to support two concrete steps:

  • Open markets within Canada. Pass Dan Albas’ Bill C-262 to require Canada Post to deliver beer, wine and spirits directly to consumers across provincial borders.
  • Bring home investment. Pass the Conservative Economic Action Plan to lower taxes, remove red tape and encourage investment, making Canada stronger, more self-reliant and less vulnerable to economic threats from abroad.

We cannot control what happens in Washington, but we can control the taxes and barriers we impose on ourselves.

Let’s get them out of the way and become our own best customers.