Trade war with Canada has contributed to a significant decline in U.S. liquor sales
Jim Beam, one of the largest makers of American whiskey globally, is shutting down bourbon production at one of its Kentucky distilleries for a year.
The move comes amid Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada, which has contributed to a significant decline in U.S. liquor sales after the country ushered in a boycott of American booze, and as more young adults are cutting back on drinking.
Jim Beam, owned by Suntory Global Spirits, is one of Kentucky’s biggest bourbon producers.
The Bluegrass state’s $9 billion whiskey bourbon industry has been struggling to manage its abundant supply of liquor against the drop in demand.
Anecdotally, I know some folks who work under the UAW. Before/after a recent round of significant layoffs because of these big, beautiful tariffs, even the union leadership was spouting off how manufacturing would return to the US within years and it would be “worth it.” Some of the workers who already didn’t want to jump in bed with Trump ate it up. You would think at least leadership in a massive union overseeing any manufacturing/production would at least understand how this was a bad move for their whole organization, but here we are.
Why should tariffs not work? What else could bring back manufacturing?
The whole reason why the auto sector exists in Canada is the lower health care costs.
GM alone spends $17M/year just on viagra for it’s employees.