Nova Scotia to sell $14m US alcohol stockpile
After pulling US spirits from its shelves in March, Canadian province Nova Scotia will now sell the last of its inventory and donate net profits to charity.
All US alcohol products were taken off the shelves of the province’s Nova Scotia Liquor Corp (NSLC) stores on 4 March, after US president Donald Trump confirmed he would put 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.
The duty was increased by Trump in August to 35%.
What’s left is estimated to be worth US$14 million and is said to consist of wines and spirits, including American whiskey. The US-made alcohol will return to NSLC locations on Monday 1 December.
In the coming weeks, the province will donate around US$4m of the net profits to Feed Nova Scotia and other community food organisations. The figure is the estimated amount the NSLC will return to the province once the product is sold and expenses have been calculated.
Tim Houston, premier of Nova Scotia, said: “We remain committed to a ‘team Canada’ approach to tariffs and trade. We will not be ordering any more from the United States once this inventory is gone.
“But Nova Scotians have already paid for this product. We don’t want it to go to waste. That’s why we’re selling it and using the proceeds to help those in need.”
Canadian provinces began to pull US booze from their stores in February after Trump went ahead with his tariff plans.
Provinces such as New Brunswick, British Columbia and the Yukon have sold their remaining stock of US alcohol.
American spirits sales in Canada dropped by double digits from 5 March to the end of April 2025, according to data from Spirits Canada.
Canada’s move to drop US liquor from its government‐controlled stores could be an opportunity for its own spirits – with value sales of Canadian whisky in Ontario’s on-trade, for instance, climbing as American whiskey plummets.
Meanwhile, Pernod Ricard’s Canadian affiliate, Ontario-based Corby Spirit and Wine, saw first-quarter sales grow by 16% after American spirits were pulled off retail shelves.
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