Air Canada has announced that it will keep serving American alcohol in its in-flight catering, even with provincial boycotts against those products and a government-wide campaign encouraging consumers to opt for Canadian-made items.
This “Buy Canadian” initiative has gained momentum again this week as tensions escalated in the trade conflict between Canada and the U. S., with Ottawa revealing new counter-tariffs on Tuesday after recent trade discussions broke down on Friday.
“As a global airline transporting international customers including to and from the U. S., Air Canada carries a range of onboard products that reflects our customer preferences,” a spokesperson told in a statement late Monday.
“We always feature at least one Canadian wine on every international flight, and we’ve made a deliberate shift toward Canadian spirits and Canadian producers. In addition to the range of Canadian products we proudly feature, we also carry some internationally recognized products that are particularly important to our global customer base, including U. S. bourbon.”
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reached out to Canadian airlines regarding their availability of U. S. alcohol after a Reddit post surfaced on Monday claiming that Air Canada was serving Jack Daniel’s in business class on a flight from Montreal. The post was later taken down by moderators from the “Buy Canadian” subreddit, who indicated that posts about U. S. products should be limited to another subreddit focused on boycotting American goods.
Porter Airlines informed that it does not serve any U. S. alcohol products on its flights. The Toronto-based airline offers several international routes, including over a dozen destinations in the U. S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.
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“Porter is a Canadian airline and we emphasize partnering with high-quality Canadian brands whenever possible,” a spokesperson said in an email Monday. “Porter is proud to offer Jackson Triggs wine from Niagara and Alberta-based Tumbler & Rocks cocktails.”
The spokesperson later confirmed, “That’s correct,” when asked if no U. S. alcohol is being served and whether the mentioned Canadian products are their only offerings.
After this article was , West Jet provided details about various alcoholic beverages they serve from both Canadian and British-owned producers but did not clearly state if they have stopped offering American brands.
“West Jet currently serves craft beer from our exclusive onboard provider, Calgary-based Tool Shed Brewing,” a spokesperson said. “The inflight beverage selection also includes Ontario wine, B. C.-based OLE margarita coolers and various Canadian and international spirits, such as Captain Morgan and Smirnoff.”
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Both Captain Morgan and Smirnoff are owned by U. K.-based spirits conglomerate Diageo. However, Captain Morgan rum products are produced in the U. S. Virgin Islands, while Smirnoff vodka is produced in multiple countries including the U. S.
Air Transat did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
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During a press conference Tuesday announcing Canada’s new counter-tariffs along with government support for businesses affected by these tariffs, Industry Minister Melanie Joly urged Canadians to choose locally made products whenever they can.
“When you choose a Canadian product, you’re not only putting pressure on the U. S., right now you’re protecting jobs,” she said.
“That’s how we can launch this movement of resistance to what is happening to us.”
has asked Joly’s office if she knows that Air Canada is still offering U. S. alcohol on its flights.
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The issue of American alcohol has become one of the main points of contention in the ongoing Canada-U. S. trade war since provincial liquor boards have halted orders for American wine, beer, and spirits; some provinces have even removed these items entirely from store shelves.
This past week Prime Minister Mark Carney requested provincial leaders lift their boycotts when it seemed like both nations were close to finalizing a new trade agreement. Some premiers expressed concern about this potential change and questioned whether Canadians would actually resume purchasing those items if they were available again in stores.
A recent survey conducted by Abacus Data revealed that nearly seven out of ten Canadians (69 percent) across British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, and all four Atlantic provinces believe their provincial governments should maintain restrictions against American alcohol imports; only 19 percent want those foreign goods back on store shelves while 11 percent remain unsure according to responses collected from 1,363 adults earlier this month.
The collapse of trade negotiations last week prompted provinces and territories to reaffirm their boycotts against American imports; Alberta and Saskatchewan had resumed orders for these products last summer but are now backtracking due to rising tensions between countries.>
