Canadians Are Refusing to Buy American Wine in Response to the Trade War

Hell hath no fury like a Canuck scorned.

That’s what American winemakers are learning this year as U.S. wine exports to Canada hurtle toward zero. Until recently, our neighbors to the north were the biggest international market for American wine, but new figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that exports fell a staggering 96.8 percent in June this year compared to 2024.

That sales drop mirrors the 97.2 percent fall in May and a 93.2 percent collapse in April. All told, Canadians have purchased nearly $130 million less wine from the U.S. through the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. It’s truly a disaster for the already ailing American wine industry.

“Canada pulled the plug and the exports of U.S. wine to Canada are virtually down to zero or they’re closing in on zero,” Karl Storchmann, executive director of the American Association of Wine Economists, told BNN Bloomberg after April’s shocking sales data was reported. “Exports to Canada account for more than a third of all U.S. exports by value, and that is massive.”

The negative effects are especially acute for makers of fine wine in America. “Canada is a very, very important market for upscale wine and it’s in enormous quantities,” Storchmann said. 

Tensions between the countries began not long after President Trump took office. While Trump’s new tariff regime sparked a trade war that has some Canadian provinces banning American alcohol, it was the President’s remarks about making Canada a 51st state—which has since been walked back by administration officials—that really riled up the country. In response, a “buy local” movement emerged in Canada that encouraged people to not purchase goods from America.

And Canadians have really followed through on their promise not to buy American wine. In May and June of last year, Canadians imported $34 million and $32 million worth of wine from the U.S., respectively. In May of 2025, that number fell to a staggering $961,084, while June was an equally paltry $1 million. If this level of trade activity persists through the end of the year, American winemakers may lose an additional $240 million.

The trade war hasn’t hurt just the American wine business—whiskey makers are feeling the pinch, too. In June, U.S. whiskey exports to Canada fell 72 percent year over year and are down nearly 50 percent for the first half of 2025—a loss of about $19 million over six months. While not as acute as the loss in revenue for American winemakers, both industries have been suffering of late, with changing drinking patterns in the last few years, which have seen sales fall for both whiskey and wine.

There is a chance this drop is a temporary boycott, and exports of American goods to Canada could rebound. However, Canadian consumers may find alternatives to American products during this interregnum, and winemakers stateside could feel the effects of Trump’s trade war for years to come.