Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — Trump’s ban on Canadian imports took effect earlier this week, and one of the biggest industries being hit is alcohol and spirits.
As customers made their weekend purchases on a busy day at the East Avenue Liquor Store, owner Nelson Habecker expects some things to start changing.
MORE: Canada tariffs take effect as trade fight sparks economic concerns | Trump renames Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ as Canada tensions escalate | Canada announces retaliatory tariffs on US products: ‘It’s all about fairness’ | Trump imposes 50% tariff on most Canadian imports, further straining US-Canada relations
Running a business heavily reliant on imports has him paying close attention to the news.
“What I look at is, with Canadian products, I’ll take a closer look at something I normally buy for six months out,” said Habecker. “I’ll look to see if I can go a year to make sure that I get one of those. And hopefully those problems will be solved by then.”
He says his wholesalers will have built up inventory on popular Canadian spirits, like Crown Royal.
But he expects other smaller products will become harder to find and stock.
“There are other smaller products,” continued Habecker. “Found North I carry. You’ve got Black Belt. You’ve got Canadian Club with the more inexpensive varieties, and I won’t reach out as far with them as I will go with Crown Royal. I can reach out further with that, but I’ll try to keep looking for them.”
The bans affecting nearly one billion dollars of Canadian imports, took effect on Tuesday, an escalation amid the trade war America has with Canada.
MORE: Canada, Europe push closer ties as US alliances face growing strains
“Well, I thought it was very stiff,” said Habecker. “That’s a pretty stiff ban to just say no more Canadian products and liquor in New York.”
“So, I think it’s the same problem on both sides. And I’m just going to just resolve it so that we’re all happy again,” continued Habecker. “You’ve got plenty of Americans that want to buy Canadian whiskey. They want to buy Crown Royal. You’ve got plenty of Canadians that would like to buy Jack Daniels.”
But Andrea O’Neill, who runs Casa Larga, had a different perspective on the ban.
“Hopefully some of this helps bring awareness that there’s a lot of really well-made, good products here, not just in the U.S., but here locally in New York,” said O’Neill. “So if there is something that you’re missing that they make over the border that you can’t get anymore, I recommend you find somewhere to get it here.”
The Associated Press reports the ban will only have a minimal impact on consumers as many imports were already facing steep tariffs.
However, the ban may make it trickier for shoppers to find their favorite Canadian liquors.
________
Source: 13wham.com
