California inks nefarious deal with Canadians to save wine industry from brink of collapse

California lawmakers are ramping up efforts to reopen Canada’s market to American wine after a trade dispute triggered a sharp decline in exports and deepened financial pressure on wineries across the state.Nearly 18 months after Canadian provinces retaliated against President Donald Trump’s America-First trade policies by removing US alcohol from shelves, a bipartisan group of California lawmakers is urging Quebec Premier Christine Frechette to back down and restore market access for American producers.In a letter to the premier, lawmakers argued that wineries have been caught in the middle of a broader trade fight.“Reopening the market to American wine would restore consumer choice and signal a commitment to restoring fair and balanced trade for Quebecois consumers and American wineries who have no connection to the underlying trade disputes,” the lawmakers wrote.“Unfortunately, the restriction on American wine has had damaging consequences for regional consumers, businesses, and producers who had no influence over national policies.”The push comes as new data highlights the toll on the US wine industry.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story According to the Wine Institute, a California winery advocacy group, exports to Canada fell dramatically in 2025, costing US wineries nearly $357 million.The organization said the provincial bans affected nearly 95% of family-owned small- and medium-sized wineries and contributed to hundreds of layoffs.“Full-year 2025 data now confirms this is the most catastrophic single-year trade disruption in the history of US wine exports,” the group said.California accounts for roughly 80% of all US wine production, making the state particularly vulnerable to the loss of its largest export market.Between 202...