US imposes 50% tariffs on $20 billion Canadian goods
President Donald Trump unveiled 50% tariffs on a wide range of imports from Canada on Monday in response to what the U.S. administration called its discriminatory treatment of American-made cars, alcohol and dairy goods, threatening a new front in a global trade war.
In slapping import taxes on goods ranging from wine to cement and ice hockey gear, Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which permits a president to impose punitive tariffs of up to 50% against trading partners deemed to have discriminated against U.S. goods. That marked the law’s first known usage in nearly a century of existence.
*Trump and Carney
President Donald Trump unveiled 50% tariffs on a wide range of imports from Canada on Monday in response to what the U.S. administration called its discriminatory treatment of American-made cars, alcohol and dairy goods, threatening a new front in a global trade war.
In slapping import taxes on goods ranging from wine to cement and ice hockey gear, Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which permits a president to impose punitive tariffs of up to 50% against trading partners deemed to have discriminated against U.S. goods. That marked the law’s first known usage in nearly a century of existence.
The new tariffs, set to take effect in 30 days, would also apply to dairy products, swimming pools, furniture, fishing rods, seeds, clothing and wigs, among other items.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said that the tariffs would apply to nearly $20 billion of imports from Canada. That’s about 5.2% of the $382 billion worth of goods that the U.S. imported from Canada in 2025, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
“While the Administration continues to secure fair and reciprocal trade deals with our trading partners, Canada, unlike other partners and allies, continues to retaliate against the United States for its efforts to rebalance trade and protect U.S. industry in national-security sensitive sectors,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement that his government has made comprehensive proposals to resolve trade disputes with Washington, asserting that Trump’s past tariffs violated the North American trade pact.
“This trade dispute has raised costs for families, particularly in the U.S.,” he said. “Canada stands ready to engage intensively to address outstanding issues with the U.S. to the mutual benefit of our citizens.”
The Trump administration has long complained that Canada and China implemented retaliatory measures in response to the barrage of tariffs Trump has tried to impose since returning to the White House last year.
Greer has pointedly left Canada out of negotiations underway with Mexico on changes the U.S. wants in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade. He holds bilateral talks on USMCA in Mexico City this week.
When Trump and Carney met at the FIFA World Cup Final in New Jersey on Sunday, Trump demanded that Carney take action to contain wildfires that have sent smoke billowing across swaths of the U.S. The U.S. president last week threatened to add the “incalculable cost” of dealing with the pollution to existing tariffs on Canadian goods.
©Reuters
