Sales of U.S. alcohol stock in Manitoba to benefit charities, premier says

WINNIPEG – The Manitoba government is going to sell alcohol products from the United States that it had pulled from the shelves to protest American tariffs.

Premier Wab Kinew told 103.1 Virgin Radio that about $1 million in U.S. alcohol products will be put up for sale next week, raising $500,000 for charity cheer boards that distribute holiday food and gifts in Winnipeg, Brandon and Thompson.

The Nova Scotia government made a similar announcement last week.

Kinew says the Manitoba government is still not buying any new U.S. alcohol products, but some of the items pulled from shelves and put in storage in March have expiry dates and should be sold.

The ban on American booze only applies to products made in the U.S., not to U.S.-based brands such as Budweiser that are brewed in Canada.

Kinew says the sale is to start Monday with restaurants, vendors and private wine stores, and the general public will get to buy the American items starting Wednesday at some government-run liquor outlets.

“Manitobans have been resilient against Donald Trump’s tariffs and deserve some holiday cheer,” Kinew said in a press release.

“We are offering people a chance to give back to the most vulnerable families during this holiday season.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4. 2025

Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version included a former name of 103.1 Virgin Radio