The Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition—which includes 52 organizations representing the entire three-tier chain of the U.S. alcohol industry, including the American Craft Spirits Association—has released the following statement on tariffs imposed on Canada and Mexico:
We urge President Trump to lift the tariffs on Mexican and Canadian distilled spirits and wine due to the special nature of our products. We commend the administration’s objectives to protect the American people and support jobs in the United States, however, we are concerned these tariffs will not contribute to that effort.
Many wine and spirits categories, such as Tequila and Bourbon, are designated as distinctive products that can only be produced in certain geographical regions around the world. As a result, the production of these products cannot simply be moved to another country or region.
American wines and spirits have benefitted from fair and reciprocal trade with Canada and Mexico. These U.S. tariffs on Mexico and Canada will result in great harm to U.S. companies and employees throughout the wine and spirits supply chain, from restaurants, bars and retail outlets, to shippers and importers/exporters of spirits and wine products. We are also greatly troubled that U.S. alcohol products are being removed from Canadian stores as a result of this trade dispute and will now also face retaliatory tariffs in Canada.U.S. wines and spirits are made with agricultural products sourced from farmers across the United States. Our products are key pillars of the U.S. hospitality industry supporting restaurants and bars across the country. Sales of wine and spirits in the U.S. have slowed in recent years, and restaurants in cities across the country continue to try to stabilize post Covid. Hitting wine and spirits with tariffs will further stall their recovery and hurt U.S. consumers.
