Canada’s newest round of retaliatory duties took effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, and senior Trump administration officials later told reporters that President Donald Trump had responded with plans to stop some Canadian motorcycles, dairy products, and alcohol from entering the United States.
Officials said those Canadian duties cover hundreds of goods, including steel, dairy, household appliances, farm equipment, paper, and electronics, at rates of 15% to 50%, reports NBC News. They said the planned U.S. ban on Canadian alcohol follows bans that provinces across Canada placed on American alcohol in early 2025 after Trump first imposed sweeping duties on Canada.
White House documents show the new U.S. steps were signed under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. Officials said that law had not been used until Trump applied new tariffs on Canada under it in late August. A senior official said the administration also finished what the official called “housekeeping” on existing tariffs, taking duties off cement, road salt, and hospital pads and putting duties on all-terrain vehicles, some cheeses, and motorboats.
White House officials link the bans to new Canadian duties and frozen talks
Officials said the import bans are set to begin in about three weeks, on Sept. 29. A White House official said a separate plan for 50% duties on cars and trucks remains on the table and that Trump recently threatened to start those on Jan. 1. U.S. officials have said for nearly a year that they object to Canada’s retaliatory tariffs. This follows a pattern of escalating trade tensions, such as when Trump threatened 50 percent tariffs on Canadian cars.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in August, “I’ve got two countries in the world that have retaliated against the United States for trade measures: the People’s Republic of China and Canada. That’s not the kind of company you really want to be running in.”
Days after that remark, Prime Minister Mark Carney ended negotiations with the United States, citing what he called “uneconomic” and “unfair” demands from American officials at the last minute. Trump administration officials have disputed that account.
After the talks stopped, Trump moved to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” Canadian officials have said they will ignore that change. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said Aug. 27, “We’ll always call it Lake Ontario. Period.” She added, “While all these shenanigans are happening, we’ll just be smart, and we’ll be strategic, and we’ll fight back.”
On Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Bombardier should no longer be able to sell its products in the United States. Bombardier said the company supports thousands of U.S. jobs through its supply chain. White House officials said Tuesday night that Trump was still reviewing how to carry out that idea.
Chris Swonger, president of the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., said, “We urge leaders on both sides of the border to reach a negotiated solution that restores U.S. spirits to retail shelves throughout Canada and returns the spirits sector to a permanent zero-for-zero tariff framework.”
Carney said last week, “When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions.” After he ended talks on Aug. 21, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mocked Canada and its economy, according to those later remarks.
Trump has posted numerous AI memes about Canada on social media, and the White House’s official X account posted an image of a bald eagle stepping on what appears to be a Canada goose. On Sunday, Bessent likened Canada to “a little yippy dog” in a Fox News Channel interview.
Carney said Tuesday that the Trump administration was trying to “break” Canada with tariffs. In a YouTube video, he said, “With a resilient economy and the strongest fiscal position in the G7, we have everything we need to pivot and prosper.”
Dominic LeBlanc, the Canadian minister responsible for U.S. trade relations, said in a late Tuesday statement on X that the government was “assessing the latest tariff measures from the United States.” He said Ottawa’s focus was on protecting workers and businesses.
LeBlanc said, “I am in contact with Ambassador Greer. When the U.S. is ready to engage, our government will work in good faith and constructively toward a more secure, mutually beneficial trading relationship that fully respects Canadian sovereignty.”
Mexico’s trade minister said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is due in Mexico on Wednesday. Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on X that Lutnick would meet President Claudia Sheinbaum to discuss the two countries’ trading relationship.
Published: Sep 9, 2026 12:15 pm