Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has highlighted that U.S. exports continue to feel the effects of the country’s ongoing boycott of American goods, the backlash linked to President Donald Trump’s trade measures, and rhetorical attacks against the nation in the U.S. leader’s second term.
Speaking at the Liberal Party convention on Saturday, Carney cited Trump’s tariffs and growing doubts about Canada’s relationship with Washington while celebrating “small individual acts of solidarity” exhibited by Canadians, including those who forego American holidays in favor of domestic trips, and abstain from purchasing U.S. alcohol products.
“Anyone had any bourbon recently?” Carney said, to applause and laughter from the Montreal crowd, before adding that Canadians “are rediscovering our country.”
Why It Matters
Relations between the two historically friendly powers have frayed since the return of Trump to the White House last year, primarily due to high tariffs levied on Canadian imports, as well as his repeated references to the country as the U.S.’ “51st state.”
This has led to widespread boycotts of American products within Canada, to which Carney made reference, one that industry groups warn is significantly impacting sales in one of their most critical markets.
What To Know
Early last year, several Canadian provinces removed American alcohol from their shelves in response to new tariffs on the country’s products—measures tied to the wider “Buy Canadian” movement that U.S. trade officials have said “greatly hamper” its alcohol exports.
According to a recent report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade association representing American producers and sellers, this “had an outsized impact on total 2025 export figures,” with exports to Canada dropping 70 percent compared with 2024 levels.
During his speech on Saturday, delivered days before a handful of by-elections to the 45th Canadian Parliament, Carney outlined a national strategy which leans into the idea of Canadian self-sufficiency.
The prime minister unveiled plans to prioritize Canadian suppliers, further diversify exports away from the U.S., to and pursue a more independent economic and foreign policy.
“With our new Buy Canadian policy, when the federal government spends, we will select Canadian suppliers by default,” he said. “The days of our military sending 70 cents of every dollar to the United States are over.”
“We are going to build Canada strong with Canada steel, Canadian aluminum, Canadian lumber, Canadian workers,” Carney continued, later stating that the country was on track to double its non-U.S. exports to $300 billion over the next decade.
What People Are Saying
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said: “At this decisive moment, Canadians are demonstrating just how strong we are. You know, it started quietly: People choosing a wine from the Okanagan over one from California…A family planning a vacation to Prince Edward Island instead of booking flights to Florida.”
“Small individual acts of solidarity, but repeated millions of times, and together they make a statement: We are the masters of our destiny,” he added.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative, in a recent report on “Foreign Trade Barriers,” wrote: “Most Canadian provinces have province-run liquor control boards, which are the sole authorized sellers of wine, beer, and spirits in those provinces. Market access barriers imposed by Canadian provincial liquor control boards greatly hamper exports of U.S. wine, beer, and spirits to Canada.”
What Happens Next
Other signs of fracture in U.S.-Canada relations continue to emerge. In a poll commissioned by The Globe and Mail, 57 percent of respondents said that they would support Canada joining the European Union, with 32 percent opposed to the idea and 12 percent unsure.