The move marks the latest escalation in a trade fight that already includes steep tariffs between the two countries. Canada fired back earlier by banning US booze sales in Ontario and other provinces, and this ban is Washington's answer to that.
Experts say most American shoppers won't notice much right away. Distributors saw this coming and stocked up on Canadian alcohol before the ban kicked in. Various workarounds and exemptions are also softening the blow at the register.
Liquor store shelves stay mostly full for now, even as the underlying trade relationship keeps fraying. The ban still marks a break in one of the closest trading partnerships in the world, built over decades of open borders for goods including beer, wine and spirits. Whether stockpiles hold out long enough to avoid real shortages depends on how long the standoff lasts.
Two countries that used to trade booze freely now can't agree on much of anything, and the people stuck in the middle are bartenders and shoppers waiting to see whose supply runs out first.