Tariffs, Tradition, and Trade Chaos: Canada's Kosher Wine Crisis | Image Source: www.summerlandreview.com
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, April 2, 2025 – As the Passover approaches, a sense of urgency is to catch Jewish communities across Canada, not for spiritual preparation, but for an unexpected shortage: the wine of Manischewitz kosher. This sweet and symbolic drink, which has accompanied countless Easter visionaries for generations, has disappeared from the shelves throughout the country due to a radical ban on alcohol by the United States. The root of the crisis is not in vineyards or distribution chains, but in the intensification of the trade war between Canada and the United States, marked by new tariffs, political tensions and growing frustration on both sides of the border.
According to Reuters’ reports, the elimination of the United States-produced manischewitz wine from Canadian shelves follows the government’s ban on U.S. imports of alcohol. This movement is part of a series of countermeasures adopted by Canadian authorities in response to the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration. These tariffs, which cover a range of products such as steel, aluminum and more recently cars, have triggered economic and emotional consequences that go beyond commercial spreadsheets, affecting the cultural and religious practices of daily Canadians.
Why Manischewitz? Lost wine from Canadian shelves?
Manishewitz wine, often rejected as too sweet by oenophiles, is of profound importance during Jewish holidays such as Easter. Their absence this year is more than uncomfortable – it is disorienting for those whose traditions are imbued with their distinctive taste. Provincial alcohol companies across Canada, which exercise monopoly control over the alcohol and wholesale trade, have taken U.S.-made wines from their shelves, including Manischewitz, as a symbolic and practical response to recent U.S. tariff expansions. These include new charges for Canadian vehicles, automotive parts and other industrial products.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the inventory of private alcoholic beverages stores was quickly removed by consumers once the news of the ban was published. Louise Waldman, a long-time resident of Winnipeg, expressed the sense of community by saying, “People are afraid. »
The outcry isn’t merely about taste — it’s about ritual. Each Passover seder requires participants to drink four cups of kosher wine, and for many, Manischewitz is the traditional choice. With its familiar sweetness and certified kosher status, there’s simply no substitute for what it represents.
How did the Canadian government respond to U.S. tariffs?
Manischewitz’s withdrawal from the shelves is part of a broader account of economic retaliation. The Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, announced a series of counter-objectives and economic protection measures to protect Canadian industries and workers. These include duties of 25% on various U.S. imports, including vehicles not compatible with CUSMA, steel and aluminum, which correspond to the U.S. dollar of duties. These movements seek to push back what Canadian officials call “unwarranted and unjustified” trade barriers imposed by the United States.
“We must respond with reason and strength,” Mr. Carney said in a statement. “We will never stop defending the interests of Canadians, protecting our workers and businesses and continuing our research to build the G7’s strongest economy.”
In addition to tariffs, Canada has introduced liquidity measures for businesses, suspended certain EI requirements, and initiated public consultations on further trade retaliation, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to economic resilience.
Are there alternatives to Passover?
Although Manischewitz may be the preferred option for many, it is not the only kosher wine available. Manitoba Liquor Marts, for example, focused on Israeli imports, offering products from the Galil Mountain cellar, among others. However, accessibility, accessibility and familiarity remain problematic. For small Jewish communities or those that do not have easy access to large retailers, acquiring alternatives in time for Easter remains a logistical challenge.
Aaron Bernstein, owner of Delicatessen from Bernstein in Winnipeg, said Israeli imports are available but come with delays. “There is no other product like manischewitz wine,” Bernstein says. Many Jewish Canadians echo this feeling, pointing out that the symbolic weight of wine – linked to memory, culture and identity – cannot be easily reproduced by other products, regardless of the same taste or certification.
Is there a silver lining for Canadian producers in Kosher?
In the midst of frustration, a new opportunity is to ferment domestic kosher producers. According to Reuters, some companies see the current crisis as an opportunity to recover market shares and patriotically retain consumers under the “Buy Canadian” flag. Eman’s food products, a Winnipeg-based Kosher food producer, are in conversation with national chains to store locally produced items, including selected products such as horse and sauerkraut - staples on Easter Seder’s plate.
Ritesh Patel, Elman’s Director of Operations, sees the current tension as a challenge and an invitation to innovate. The national kosher production has long played the second violin in the deep supply chains of the United States and Israel. Now, with the patriotic increase in international fervour and supply lines under tension, original producers can find themselves in a growth situation rarely stimulated by demand.
How do broader trade policies affect Canadian businesses?
Beyond religious and cultural property, trade tensions between the United States and Canada are washing the entire sector. The automotive industry is facing particular pressure, as tariffs extend to parts of the car, a movement that affects more than 500,000 Canadian workers. According to government announcements, these rates apply not only to fully assembled vehicles, but also to the proportion of non-Canadian content in CUSMA-compatible cars. For Canadian car manufacturers, this could disrupt production times, increase prices and increase consumer confidence.
In an attempt to address these economic shocks, Canada has promised that recruitment revenues will go directly to support displaced auto workers. Additional funding includes tax deferrals, expanded access to Employment Insurance and a new financing mechanism for small and medium-sized enterprises. These measures reflect a broader economic slowdown policy, but companies are still waiting for a long-term decline.
What about intra-Canada trade? Do internal obstacles make things worse?
Paradoxically, while the focus is on barriers to international trade, many Canadian entrepreneurs argue that domestic trade is referred to in the same or more ways. Ron Kubek, owner of Lightning Rock Werery in Summerland, British Columbia, says the interprovincial trade in alcohol is drowned by a maze of tariffs and internal regulations. “Even with U.S. import tariffs, it is more affordable to sell in the U.S. than in other provinces”
he told Summerland Review. Provinces like Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec impose markup rates as high as 140 percent, compared to significantly lower barriers for foreign wines from regions like California and France.
Kubek’s cellar, which suffered a devastating loss of vines during a cold in January 2024, began providing grapes from Washington State and launched a collection of “Cross Border Collection” – a creative but revealing work. ”I am not asking for help; I’m just asking the government to leave,” Kubek added. The frustration is shared by industry organizations such as the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Vancouver Board of Commerce, both of which have called for the removal of barriers to internal trade to stimulate economic growth and consumer access.
What are the general consequences for Canadian consumers?
The shortage of Manischewitz wine may seem niche, but it is a powerful symbol of economic fragility and disconnection. When tariffs affect items with profound cultural resonance, especially during religious parties, they remind people that the economy is not just numbers, it is the experience lived. As Richard Rabkin, Executive Director of the Kashruth Council of Canada, explained, the issue is not just a matter of preference or convenience. “The price of food is astronomical and the price of kosher food is even more relative.”
The concern for Jewish Canadians keeping kosher isn’t just spiritual; it’s increasingly financial. Rising costs, limited options, and complicated regulations make religious observance a logistical and economic strain.
As the Canadian government doubles with retaliation rates and support measures, questions are raised about long-term resistance. Will local industries be able to fill the remaining gaps for U.S. products? Can Canadian provinces harmonize trade to allow businesses like Lightning Rock Weary to thrive nationally? And more immediately, can families find the wine they need to tell the whole Easter story?
For the time being, Canadians who navigate for faith and finance this April will have to do what they have always done: adapt, improvise and continue, even if the wine at the table is not the one that grew up.
