Congressmen Ask Ontario Premier to Permit Sale of American Wine

Reps. Mike Thompson, Jimmy Panetta and David Valadao led a bipartisan coalition of 14 California lawmakers in asking Québec Premier Christine Fréchette to remove the current restrictions barring the importation and sale of American wine in Québec.

The lawmakers highlighted the United States’ extended history of close collaboration with Québec through a relationship built on shared trade, culture and economic success. Québec’s top export market is the United States, and the United States is Québec’s largest supplier. Nearly three-quarters of Québec’s 2024 exports went to the United States, worth a total of $91.2 billion, and a third of Québec’s total imports in recent years have come from the U.S.

“Unfortunately, the restriction on American wine has had damaging consequences for regional consumers, businesses and producers who had no influence over national policies,” wrote the lawmakers. “Québec consumers have historically enjoyed access to a wide variety of American wines, and their absence limits choice in the marketplace, while cutting off a $434 million market.”

“Reopening the market to American wine would restore consumer choice and signal a commitment to restoring fair and balanced trade for Québécois consumers and American wineries who have no connection to the underlying trade disputes,” continued the lawmakers.