Cost of storing banned U.S. booze in Ontario reaches $8 million

After yanking American booze off of Ontario liquor store shelves in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, the province is coming up against expiry dates on some of the alcohol, along with rising storage costs. According to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), the cost to keep Kentucky bourbon and other U.S.-made [...]

Cost of storing banned U.S. booze in Ontario reaches $8 million Posted Jul 13, 2026 09:49:49 PM. After yanking American booze off of Ontario liquor store shelves in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, the province is coming up against expiry dates on some of the alcohol, along with rising storage costs. According to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), the cost to keep Kentucky bourbon and other U.S.-made liquor products tucked away has reached $8 million – a number that is not lost on business experts who are keeping an eye on the bottom line.

“Every month that this carries on, we’re looking at a little bit less than $1 million a month,” Michael Armstrong, professor at Brock University’s Goodman School of Business told CityNews. “Which comes out of the LCBO’s profit margin, which ultimately comes out of the money that would have gone to the Provincial Treasury, which means it’s basically us taxpayers.” Meanwhile, some of the booze has gone bad.

Roughly $2.6 million worth of U.S. product that Ontario has been holding onto expired at the end of March 2026, which brings the total cost of the retaliatory trade strategy to more than $10 million. According to the LCBO, “the majority of product, roughly 97 per cent, remains in good condition and within its normal shelf-life.” “A significant portion of stored U.S. products are made up of wines and spirits which remain suitable for consumption, with spirit products safe to consume up to a decade,” it added.

The LCBO says it will continue to store U.S. products based on its standards and will continue to evaluate them, while working with the government on the best course of action. “We might as well sell the stuff we already have in inventory, rather than spending close to $1 million a month just to keep it there,” Armstrong added. “It would be good for the provincial treasury and therefore provincial taxpayers to sell it off right now.”

In a statement, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s office said “It’s the same as it has been throughout, until tariffs are removed the product will remain off the shelves.”