Brown-Forman, the producer of Jack Daniel’s, recently saw several Canadian provinces strip their shelves of its liquor in response to President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canadian-made products.
The measures are one of many ways Canadians — stirred by the spat between neighboring nations with deep ties — have begun steering away from U.S. goods.
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Canada responded with a 25% tariff on U.S. imports, including spirits, beer, and wine, but many ordinary Canadians have also boycotted U.S. spirits brands in favor of domestic labels, such as Canadian Club, Alberta Premium and Lot 40.
Canadian sales reportedly account for only 1% of Brown-Forman’s total, but Lawson Whiting, the company's CEO, claimed during a recent company earnings call that the response was “worse than a tariff” and “disproportionate.”
Brown-Foreman has seen a slide in demand so far this year and responded with cost-cutting measures, including job cuts. In January, Brown-Forman said it planned to lay off some 12% of its workforce — about 650 jobs.
